Summer Salads From Black Chefs To Add To Your Menu

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Summer is here and so is all of the beautiful produce that grows during this season. From eggplant to cucumbers to green beans, there are a lot of gorgeous veggies which are great for summer salads that you can expect to see in abundance at the Farmer’s Market. Finding ways to incorporate these into your diet can prove to have major benefits.

In fact, Harvard Health reports that a diet rich in fruits and veggies lowers the risk of some of the top causes of mortality in the Black community including heart disease and stroke, as well as helps promote better blood sugar levels and even reduce the risk of certain cancers.

But, let’s be honest: sometimes vegetables just aren’t that exciting. And if you’re looking to salads to get more greens in your diet, you can get bored of the usual lettuce fast. That’s why we’re highlighting delicious summer salads from Black chefs that will salivating overs greens and every other color that pops up these salads

1) Pistachio, Avocado and Romaine Salad

From Tirzah Love

This bright and colorful salad from Chef Tirzah Love is bursting with tasty summer produce like avocado, cherry tomatoes and purple radishes. The leafy base is a mixture of kale and romaine, and the addition of chickpeas makes this a protein-rich vegetarian meal. The olives give it a little pop of salty flavor that pairs great with a simple and light lemon vinaigrette.

2) White Bean Tuna Arugula Salad

From Marisa Moore

This simple but delicious salad uses several ingredients you likely already have at home, including white chunk albacore tuna and cherry tomatoes. The red wine vinegar cuts the bitterness of the arugula, the cannellini beans add some healthy fats and the red onions bring out the flavors of the other ingredients. This is the perfect lunch to make when you’re in a hurry but need something nutritious.

3) Watermelon Radish Salad

From Chef Yoli Ouiya

This unique salad utilizes some of the prettiest of summer veggies, including lovely pink watermelon radishes that have a

refreshing crunch and beautiful purple carrots. The cremini mushrooms add a nice rich, nutty flavor, and it’s all topped off with a creamy dressing made with vegan mayo that makes this salad feel hearty and filling.

4) Sweet + Spicy Arugula Salad

From Kayla Greer

Though Greer doesn’t list the full recipe here, we know it has arugula, Serrano peppers, burrata cheese, shallots and peaches. The burrata makes this an entrée-worthy salad because it adds protein. The creaminess of the cheese with the spice of the peppers is perfectly offset by the sweet peaches and it all gets a burst of flavor from the shallots. This one won’t need more than a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for the dressing.

5) Cucumber And Citrus Salad

From Lauren Von Der Pool

There’s no recipe available for this one but we can get a lot of inspiration from the image. Finely diced cucumbers and yellow pomegranate seeds make up the base of this salad which is topped off with some small bean sprouts for a fresh crunch. It would pair well with an orange juice-based vinaigrette, and plenty of salt and pepper.

6) Kale Ceasar

From Tiffany Derry

This scrumptious twist on the traditional Caesar salad uses three types of greens – kale, romaine lettuce and mustard greens – for a dish that’s bursting with vitamins. The magic ingredient here is the Duckfat breadcrumbs (breadcrumbs fried in duck fat), which give this a rich flavor and satisfying crunch. Top it off with your favorite protein like chicken tenders for a protein-rich lunch option.

7) Quinoa Salad

From Petrina Peart

This hearty quinoa salad from Petrina Peart has everything you want in a summer salad, with filling grains, bright citrus, a little crunch from pumpkin seeds and some sweetness from the golden raisins. It all comes together with a delicious zesty citrus vinaigrette. Peart did graciously share the full recipe, which you can find below.

Vinaigrette:

1 Orange- zested, ½ juiced

1 Lemon- zested- ½ juiced

Sesame seed oil- 1 ½ Tsp

Olive oil- ¼ cup

Salt- 1 Tsp

Pepper- ½ Tsp

Salad:

Quinoa- 2 cups (cooked). Cooking one cup of Quinoa will yield two cooked cups.

1 Apple- small dice

1 Radish (watermelon or breakfast), small dice

1 Small Zucchini- small diced and sautéed