Hot weather, harsh heat and scorching afternoons are common during the summers in India. As we all must have experienced, a warm and spicy meal doesn’t seem appetising during this season, especially for lunches. Using fresh ingredients, juicy fruits, mild condiments, one can create light, delicious salads that work great for summer lunches and dinners. We have picked some of the best recipes for summer salads that you ought to try this season. Read on to know more about them.

Honey-lime rainbow salad

This salad is a delight for your eyes as well as your taste buds. It’s incredibly refreshing with a profusion of beautiful colours, a delightful balance of flavours and consists of a simple salad dressing. To prepare the honey-lime rainbow salad, reach for some seasonal fruits such as mangoes, pineapples, oranges and cut them up into bite-sized pieces. Cut some strawberries into quarters, slice up a banana and a few kiwis. Mix a generous amount of honey, lime juice, and lemon zest into a salad bowl. Add in your pieces of fruit and gently toss all the ingredients together. Serve this fruit salad after chilling it slightly.

The honey-lime rainbow salad is a perfect blend of delicious fruits and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for your summer luncheons.

Roasted potato salad

Potatoes are perfect for any meal, especially the roasted ones with a flourish of sour cream and garlic. Start with washing and peeling the potatoes. Brush them lightly with some olive oil and roast them for about 45 minutes until they become tender. While the potatoes are roasting, finely chop the onions and mince a few cloves of garlic. Take some sour cream, salt, crushed pepper, olive oil in a mixing bowl and add the onion and garlic. Let the potatoes cool down before dicing them. Add the diced potatoes to the bowl and gently mix all the ingredients. Set the salad in the refrigerator and serve it chilled, garnished with finely chopped chives.

Chicken Caprese salad

If you feel like having chicken but want it neither boiled and bland nor spicy and fried, try this chicken Caprese salad. Start with preparing a marinade for the chicken in a sealable bowl. Mix some lime juice, ground pepper, salt, finely chopped basil leaves, chilli flakes and extra-virgin olive oil in the bowl. Slice the chicken, toss it in the marinade and pop the sealed bowl into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Sear the marinated chicken in a pan over medium heat, keeping it covered with a lid so that the chicken gets cooked without drying out.

About 20 minutes before serving the salad, chop the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and dice the cheese. Use Mozzarella cheese if you can, but you may also use feta cheese instead. Put the tomatoes and cheese pieces into a salad bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and finely chopped basil. Add the cooked chicken slices and toss all the ingredients properly.

The tomatoes, cheese and basil lend this salad the colours of an Italian flag. So give an Italian kick to a meal with this chicken Caprese salad and be sure to win some hearts.

Watermelon and feta salad

Juicy watermelons, crumbly cheese and refreshing mint, what’s not to like about this salad? This salad has a perfect balance of sweet, salty and slightly sour taste. To prepare this quick and easy salad, dice the watermelon and put it in the refrigerator to chill. Chop a few, fresh mint leaves and mix them with some olive oil and lemon juice.

Just a few minutes before serving, put the watermelon pieces in the dressing, crumble feta cheese into it, mix well and serve with a garnish of extra cheese crumbles and a mint leaf on top.

Do you have any more favourite summer salad recipes? Share them with us in the comment section below.