I recently came across this delicious recipe on Instagram courtesy of Jess from @sayjessplease. Jess is amazing, and allowed me to share the salad recipe with all of you. This is perfect for August, and is a great use for all of the fantastic produce that is available in late summer. I personally love the versatility and ease of this recipe in that you can add or subtract ingredients based on your own likes and dislikes. Thank you to Jess for sharing!
Summer Candy Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups watermelon, I like the small seedless watermelon
- 2 peaches
- 1/2 can chickpeas
- 1 cob corn cut off cob
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1/2 – 1/4 cup good quality crumbled feta sprinkle some more on top
- 2 tbsp mint chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped loosely
- 1/4 cup chives chopped small
Light & Fresh Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 fresh lemon juiced
- 4 tbsp good olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano heaping
- 1 pinch thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- cracked pepper
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic grated super fine
Instructions
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Cut all of the summer candy salad ingredients so that they’re bite sized – this includes everything but the vinaigrette.
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In a jar with a lid, add all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Secure the lid tight and shake the vinaigrette until it’s fully emulsified. It should be fully mixed and look kind of light and fluffy.
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Dress the summer candy salad ingredients with as much or as little dressing as you like. I used about half of it. Save the rest for another salad — it’s a delicious and versatile vinaigrette
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Important note! Just eye these measurements up when it comes to the salad ingredients. It’s completely a matter of preference here. I just guesstimated on the quantities. Add additional items like cucumbers or other fresh summer veggies.
The best part about this summer candy salad? The ingredients are so ripe and so fresh in August, we’ve just cut everything raw and drizzled with a light vinaigrette. It is so packed with sweet flavor… just as you’re meant to eat in summer!
Here’s a little bonus knowledge for you, because the freshness of these ingredients will make or break the recipe. I think most of these ingredients indicate ripeness by a soft exterior but we’ve all picked up an unripe watermelon and it’s sooo disappointing…
I recently learned a few key factors to picking a super juicy Watermelon:
- It should feel heavy for its size
- There should be one little light yellow mark on the side of the watermelon to show where it sat. It’s called a field spot. As a rule of thumb, the color should be creamy and yellow. If it’s white or light yellow, you may want to choose another one.
- Dull is better — shiny could indicate it’s underripe
So now that you’re prepared to pick the best quality ingredients… I hope you make this recipe, share with friends, and enjoy in good health!
