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Close your eyes and imagine those quintessential warm weather flavors. Are you picturing a heaping bowl-full of juicy heirloom tomatoes? Are you dreaming of cutting into a ball of buratta cheese drizzled generously with olive oil and balsamic vinegar? Or how about savoring every bite of that fresh lobster you picked up at the seafood market? For us, it’s all of the above; and during the spring and summer months, we can’t help but combine all of these flavors into one bright, fresh salad pulled directly Ina Garten’s many, many cookbooks.
From classic salads, like Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad, and twists on favorites, like her Lobster Cobb Salad, to irresistibly refreshing salads, like her Watermelon & Arugula Salad, Garten has a seemingly never-ending list of salad recipes that embrace seasonal ingredients. But we did the work for you, curating the perfect list showcasing Garten’s best salad recipes perfect for summer meals.
Take a look at 13 easy, fresh Garten summer salads you can eat on their own for a satisfying lunch or as side dishes during your next backyard barbecue.
A version of this article was originally published July 2020.
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
What we love about Garten’s Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad is the dressing. It’s an easy-to-make recipe that mixes vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper. That’s it!
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Lobster & Potato Salad
How do you turn potato salad into an entire meal? Add a generous helping of tender lobster meat, and you’ve got potato salad that’s totally entree-worthy.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Crunchy Iceberg Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese
Garten’s Crunchy Iceberg Salad is a one-two blue-cheese punch. The salad is not only topped with crumbled Roquefort blue cheese, but it’s also in the dressing.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Warm Fig & Arugula Salad
Concentrate the sweetness of fresh figs by gently baking them in the oven until warm and juicy. Then, pair them with peppery arugula, a tangy vinaigrette, crunchy walnuts, and funky blue cheese for balance.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Tomatoes & Burrata
And for a hit of fresh, light cheese, combine juicy heirloom tomatoes and balsamic vinegar with a couple balls of burrata cheese.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Cape Cod Chopped Salad
For a salty, savory, and sweet salad, turn to Garten’s Cape Cod Chopped Salad that mixes bacon, Granny Smith apples, walnuts, and cranberries, and is drizzled with an orange, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup dressing.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Tomato & Avocado Salad
With tomatoes and avocados in season, pick up a fresh batch from the market and make Garten’s Tomato & Avocado Salad.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Fresh Corn Salad
And it just gets easier. For Garten’s Fresh Corn Salad, all you’ll need are five ears of corn, one red onion, and some cider vinegar, olive oil, and fresh basil leaves.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Lobster Cobb Salad
Elevate your standard Cobb salad with the addition of lobster — 1.5 pounds of lobster.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad
This classic summer salad is so easy to make, it requires just a few simple ingredients: fresh, juicy plum tomatoes; fresh salted mozzarella; fresh basil leaves; and balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and black pepper.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Watermelon & Arugula Salad
Another simple salad, Garten’s Watermelon & Arugula Salad is a refreshing dish that combines baby arugula leaves, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and, of course, watermelon.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad
Great with pita or on its own, this Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad features all your favorite veggies, including scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and garlic; all your favorite herbs, like parsely, mint, and basil; as well as chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, and feta cheese.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
Tomato Feta Salad
Combine a variety of cherry tomatoes with nearly one pound of feta cheese, and you have yourself a quick, flavorful lunch or side dish.
Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.
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