Salads should never be boring—especially in the summer when so many delicious fruits and vegetables are in season. Many people tend to shy away from including fruits in their salads, but there are many fruits that can kick your salad up a notch from bland to grand. The only thing you’ll need to watch for is whether certain creamy or spicy dressings will taste good with your fruit of choice.
Here are some of the best summer salad ingredients that you probably haven’t tried before.
Pomegranate Seeds
Whether you prefer spinach, kale or lettuce as your salad base, pomegranate seeds made a tasty addition and add an unusual twist to your greens. These powerful little seeds are packed with antioxidants and literally bursting with flavour. They are easy to sprinkle on top of your favourite salad. Try them with spinach, feta and walnuts with a light vinaigrette.
Apples
You’ve probably tried apple slices in a Waldorf salad, paired with raisons, greens, nuts and a creamy, tangy sauce. But don’t limit your apple use to one type of salad! Apples are fantastic companions to almost any salad and provide a sweet contrast to some of the vegetables you might include in your bowl. Slice thinly or chop into cubes just before eating, as they won’t sit well in the salad for too long once they’ve been sliced up. Try apple chunks with romaine lettuce, red onion, and a snappy cider vinaigrette.
Berries
Berries aren’t just for fruit salad anymore. (Although we do love a yummy fruit salad made with strawberries, blueberries, banana, apples and orange juice.) Many of your favourite fruits are in the peak of ripeness during the summer months, so load up your salad with some of your favourite berries. Blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and cranberries, in particular, are easy to incorporate into a variety of creative salad combinations.