As we experience the rise in temperatures, everyone is scrambling to ensure that they don’t vaporise in the heat. Thanks to the excessive heat and humidity that is impending this summer season, eating light, refreshing foods that also keep you hydrated and cultivate good gut bacteria might seem like a lot to ask for, from yourself. But when it comes to health and sustainable health choices, simple tweaks to your diet and lifestyle do the trick. Instead of skipping meals altogether or reaching for snacks that are high in refined fat and sugar, which also aggravate issues like IBS or acne in the summer, eating delicious cold salads for lunch or as an evening snack is one way to ensure that you feel light and full at all times. Here are four delicious salad recipes to try, which are best eaten cold and ideal to cool off with.
Khamang Kakdi
Image Credits: Dassana's Veg Recipes
This savoury, nutty salad is one of the best ways to enjoy juicy cucumbers that are great for hydration in the summer. With a dash of pink salt as seasoning along with other nutritious ingredients, this salad takes care of all your health needs.
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized cucumbers, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated coconut
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed
- 2 teaspoons chopped coriander
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Mix all the ingredients except the salt and refrigerate for a minimum of 45 minutes.
- Remove and season to taste before serving and enjoy cold.
Beetroot-Yoghurt Koshimbir
Image Credits: Diane Kochilas
This sweet and tangy salad is more on the lines of a raita, only with chunks of boiled beetroot blanketed in fresh, thick yoghurt. The bright pink salad is great to add a pop of colour on your plate when eaten as an accompaniment to your meals.
Ingredients
- 1 boiled beetroot, cubed
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard/kasundi
- ¼ cup yoghurt, whisked
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate
- 1 teaspoon chopped coriander
- Salt, to taste
Method
Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
Shrimp & Pasta Salad
Image Credits: Aqua Star
For those who prefer something bit more substantial and want to eat a salad as their meal for lunch, this delicious shrimp and pasta salad is the best option to pick from. Juicy and tender poached shrimp combined with cold, cooked pasta and any kind of vegetables you like, makes this a versatile recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked macaroni
- ¼ cup hummus
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 6-7 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6-7 shrimp
- 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Combine the Greek yoghurt and hummus and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Boil some water in a saucepan and take off the heat. Add raw shrimp to the hot water and cover with a lid for 10-15 minutes. Strain and set the shrimp aside.
- Add the remaining ingredients to a large bowl and toss together. Add the poached shrimp followed by the hummus dressing and use salad spoons to coat the pasta with the dressing.
- Refrigerate overnight or for 4-5 hours and eat cold.
Ham & Cheese Salad
Image Credits: Cooking Classy
Not all salads must taste or feel healthy; but if you still want to hop on the cold salad bandwagon and feel like you’re a part of the hype, this ham and cheese salad is great to indulge in. For once, you can think of health as secondary and taste as the most important factor when it comes to eating salads.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
- ½ cup cooked ham, sliced
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar into a runny dressing and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing on to the shredded lettuce and coat thoroughly. Chop up the hard-boiled eggs and add to the dressed leaves.
- Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper, right before serving.