Summer Salad Inspiration

In warmer months when you don’t want to spend lots of time cooking in a hot kitchen, lighter meals can seem an appealing option! Check out these colourful salads packed full of fresh fruit and vegetables for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. Not only are these recipes highly nutritious, they’re also a great option if you’re following a hormone balancing diet.

The salads make an ideal addition to a summer barbecue, so quantities within the recipes are large enough to share. Feel free to reduce the amount of ingredients though to suit your own needs.

Watermelon, Mint, Feta & Black Olive Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1.5 k fresh watermelon, cubed
• 1 red onion
• 1 cup of pitted black olives
• 4 fresh limes, juiced
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 pack of feta cheese, cubed
• Small bunch of fresh mint, roughly torn
• Small bunch of fresh parsley, roughly torn
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Slice the red onion and steep in lime juice for about 10 mins to release their bitterness and pickle slightly.
2. Gently combine the watermelon and feta cubes, torn leaves, olive oil and olives with a grind or two of black pepper and then very gently toss with the onions and lime juice.

Fennel & Apple Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 fennel bulbs, finely sliced
• 1 red apple, chopped
• 1 handful raw almonds, roughly chopped 1 handful of flat parsley, chopped

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Mix the dressing in a salad bowl.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and combine with the dressing.

Roasted Vegetable & Quinoa Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 large red pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes or 4 large tomatoes, halved
• 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
• 3 large beetroot, well scrubbed and chopped into smaller chunks or wedges
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• a handful of fresh herbs, such as thyme or rosemary or 2 tbsp dried mixed herbs
• fresh leaves, such as rocket, lambs lettuce and watercress, to serve
• sea salt and black pepper, to serve

For the quinoa

• 250g quinoa
• 250ml bone broth or water

For the Brazil nut pesto

• 12 Brazil nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 large handfuls of fresh basil
• 300ml extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp lemon juice or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Soak the quinoa overnight .
2. Preheat the oven to fan 200°C
3. Put the chopped vegetables in a single layer on a large roasting tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a dollop of coconut oil. Scatter over the herbs.
4. Roast for 30–40 minutes or until the veg is tender (pierce with a knife to check). Halfway through the roasting time, use a wooden spatula to turn the veg.
5. Meanwhile, make the pesto. Blitz everything together in a food processor or with a hand blender (the more nuts you add, the thicker and creamier your pesto will be, but if you want it thinner, add more oil and lemon juice). Alternatively, grab a sharp knife and finely chop the garlic, basil and nuts, then whisk with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste.
6. Bring the broth (or water) to the boil in a pan, add the drained quinoa and cook for 12 minutes.
7. Combine the quinoa and roasted veg in a big serving bowl, toss in the pesto and the fresh salad leaves.

Chickpea & Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons sumac
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• sea salt (to taste)
• 175g chopped cucumber
• 300g sliced cherry tomatoes
• 40g sliced white onion
• handful of coriander, chopped
• lemon juice (for serving)
• olive oil (for serving)
• Sumac for serving

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, chickpeas, sumac, and cumin. Stir well, coating the chickpeas with the spices.
2. Lightly fry the chickpeas until the chickpeas are warm and starting to pop then become golden.
3. Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Chickpeas should be golden and hot but not crisp. Set aside to cool.
4. Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and corriander in a bowl. Add in the chickpeas and stir until the salad is well combined.
5. Serve with extra lemon juice, olive oil, and sumac, if desired.

Tomato & Herb Salad

Serves 4

• 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes in as many colours, shapes, sizes and flavours as you can find
• 50g mixed soft herbs (e.g. chives, thyme, parsley and mint)
• 5-6 shallots, diced as finely as you can

For the dressing

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp clear honey

Instructions

1. Slice the large-to-medium tomatoes and halve the smallest.
2. Pick the leaves from the herbs and roughly chop, then mix the herbs with the shallots.
3. Choose a large platter and start layering up the tomatoes, mixing colours and sizes. As you finish each layer, scatter with some of the herb-shallot mix and some ground black pepper.
4. Keep layering until everything is used up. Cover and chill for a few hours. Bring to room temperature 45 minutes before serving.
5. Whisk together the dressing ingredients with some salt, then drizzle over the salad and serve.

Peach & Pecan Salad

Serves 12

• 100g kale, finely chopped
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, finely shredded
• 4 eggs, hardboiled
• 150g fresh green beans
• 1 ear sweetcorn
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 200g cup cherries pitted and halved
• 1 piece large peach thinly sliced
• 60g pecans
• 25g basil, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat and add the olive oil, green beans, and sweetcorn.
2. Saute until the beans and corn are heated through and have some charred colour to them.
3. In a large salad bowl, add the shredded greens, and then top with quartered hard boiled eggs, cherries, peaches, green beans, corn, basil and pecans.
4. In a small jar, add together dressing ingredients and shake to combine.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.

Courgette Feta & Mint Salad

Serves 4

• 6 large courgettes 
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 150g feta cheese, crumbled
• handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

For the dressing

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Instructions

1. Cut the courgettes diagonally into thin slices and combine with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place the courgette slices in a small frying pan and cook until soft. Remove and leave to cool.
3. Put the dressing ingredients into a jam jar, close the lid and shake to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Put the courgettes, feta and mint in a bowl, drizzle with the dressing and mix until well combined.

For more information on how to follow a hormone balancing diet, and how to make healthy lifestyle changes as you transition through perimenopause, sign up below for my free ‘6 Secrets to a Healthy Happy Menopause’ guide below.

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