There is always a need for new, tempting salad recipes, especially during holidays when you want to surprise your family and guests with healthy, delicious meals. Fresh summer salad is a most versatile dish.

  • It can be a centerpiece of the most sophisticated holiday lunch or dinner
  • It can be served as a first course
  • It can accompany a principal dish
  • It can be a main course
  • It can make a colorful point to any meal

Here are my family recipes of fresh, appetizing summer salads with health-giving qualities. Each is nutritious,  quick and easy to prepare. These original dishes with Eastern European flair can suit the busy women, Moms, cooks who like to save time, and with a little effort create natural meals for all tastes and occasions.

Summer Rainbow Salad

1 red onion, chopped; Capcicums: 1 large red bell pepper, chopped; 1 large orange bell pepper, chopped; 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped; 2-3 medium size tomatoes, chopped; 2-3 cucumbers, skinned and cut thin,; 1 tablespoon Italian parsley; 1 tablespoon dill; 2 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil, 1 lemon, squeezed, sea salt.

Put all prepared vegetables and herbs in a big glass bowl. Your salad looks colorful and joyful. Serve: 4-6 people. Preparation time: 15 minutes. 

 Add a pinch of sea salt and pour your homemade olive-lemon dressing on a top.  You can use this natural dressing for almost all salads you make.   

Brassica Salad

Cabbage is the main ingredient in this salad. In our family we gave it a fancy name, Brassica because it comes from the Latin name Brassica oleracea for cabbage.  This nutritious vegetable was cultivated in the West since at least 400 B.C. Since Dioscorides’ time cabbage was used in salads, as a digestive remedy, a joint tonic, and for fevers and skin problems. Over-indulgent Romans used to eat raw cabbage to prevent drunkenness.

1 lb (500 g) cabbage, chopped; 1 lb (500 g) carrots, peeled; 1 big green Granny Smith apple, chopped; a bunch of fresh green onions, cut small, Italian parsley and dill, sea salt.

Coarsely grate carrots into a bowl, add cabbage, green apple, green onions, parsley and dill. Pour olive-lemon dressing over vegetable and  mix well. Your tasteful, natural medicinal salad is ready to serve 4-6 people. Preparation time: 15 minutes.

Have a healthy, happy, safe and joyful Independence Day Weekend!

CHEERS!

Source: Photos of Summer Rainbow Salad and Brassica Salad, and recipes by Svetlana Konnikova. Copyright 2009.