Summer Salads Guaranteed to Fill You Up and Keep You Out of the Hot Kitchen
by RYAN MILEJCZAK
Getting enough protein in your diet is essential, even if you aren’t a body builder. Besides supporting muscle growth, protein is essential for supporting your immune system, regulating hormones, and repairing damaged tissue in your body, plus it helps keep you full longer.
But during the heat of the summer, firing up the grill or the stovetop isn’t always the most enticing. So why not prepare a cool, refreshing salad instead?
Despite their reputation as “rabbit food,” it’s actually easy to make protein-packed salads. By combining ingredients like meat, beans, and quinoa, you can get all your protein without breaking a sweat.
Here are some of our favorite protein-packed summer salads.
Thai Chicken Quinoa Jar Salad
Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 cup grilled chicken breast, diced
- 2 tbsp peanut dressing
- ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 tbsp sliced scallions
- 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tbsp diced cilantro
- ⅓ cup diced pineapple
- 1 cup chopped romaine
- ¼ cup roasted cashew halves
- 1 16-oz mason jar
Instructions
Add ingredients to the mason jar in the following order: dressing, bell pepper, scallions, carrots, quinoa, cilantro, pineapple, chicken breast, lettuce, and cashews. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days; to serve, pour ingredients into a bowl and enjoy.
Pesto Chicken Salad
Adapted from Primavera Kitchen
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 medium skinless chicken breast
- 2 tbsp pesto, plus 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 5 cups romaine lettuce
- ½ small red onion, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- ½ avocado, sliced
- 1 tsp feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, season chicken with salt, pepper, and pesto and bake until fully cooked, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool.
While the chicken rests, arrange lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber, and avocado in a bowl. Dice chicken, transfer to a small bowl, and add pesto. Stir well then place chicken on top of the salad.
To make the dressing, whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the salad and finish with a sprinkle of goat cheese and parsley before enjoying.
Loaded Taco Salad Bowl
Adapted from Eating Well
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 heads romaine, shredded
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup fire-roasted corn
- ¼ cup chopped pickled red onions
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 cups tortilla strips
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 pack taco seasoning
Instructions
Begin by heating 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet. Add ground beef and taco seasoning and cook until beef is browned, about 10 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine lettuce, beans, peppers, tomatoes, corn, and onions. Toss with dressing, then transfer to plate and top with ground beef, cotija cheese, cilantro, tortilla strips, and jalapeño slices.