Summer-ready salads that don’t suck
Salads have had a bad rep for being “boring”—too healthy, too bland, too many greens, and not enough flavor. But that just means you’re not making your salad right. Or maybe you’ve only had the sad, soggy kind. But a good salad? It isn’t a punishment. It’s a festive bowl. Something crunchy, something sweet, something tangy—or even something warm and savory—all tossed together with some dressing.
Suddenly, it’s not “just greens” anymore. It’s texture, contrast, and bold flavors in one bite.
I used to hate salads—probably because the kinds I’ve had followed the same playbook: a pile of greens that looked and felt like eating rabbit food. Growing up, salads also came with the “eat your greens” pressure that most kids face. But as soon as I got older, I started appreciating vegetables more in general. With a little experimentation in the kitchen (and a few TikTok videos as reference), I discovered a few salad combinations that make salads fun.
And with summer in full swing, all the more reason to rethink salads. Fresh, vibrant, and anything but boring, these bowls just make sense.
Dressing it up
A dressing can make or break a salad. Too creamy, and it overpowers. Too oily, and it turns greasy. And too little of it? It falls flat. And don’t get me started on adding too much sauce—it just drowns everything else out! That’s why I find that a light vinaigrette dressing (and even a creamy one, when done right) does wonders in elevating a salad.
Lemon vinaigrette dressing
This summer-ready lemon vinaigrette dressing can easily go on any salad bowl. It’s zesty and refreshing, sour and slightly sweet—and versatile enough to tie everything together.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (can substitute with white wine vinegar)
3 Tbsp lemon juice (can substitute with calamansi)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon zest, optional (only zest the yellow part—do not include the white part of the lemon, as it is very bitter)
Procedure
Mix everything in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Summer salad done right
Now what makes a good salad? Balance. Each element needs to work together: flavor, texture, freshness, and, of course, variety. Fruits for sweetness, nuts or croutons for crunch, protein for heft, and vegetables for the base. It’s all about layering ingredients that complement each other—each one with a role to play in creating a vibrant, well-balanced bowl.
Corn salad
This has become my go-to recipe whenever I’m craving a healthy snack. It’s a colorful medley of corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, all tossed together in that same lemon vinaigrette dressing from earlier. Whether eaten on its own or with tortilla chips, this corn salad checks all the boxes—fresh, crunchy, and pretty to look at.
Ingredients
1 can whole corn kernel
1 cucumber, diced (remove the seeds)
2 tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, chopped
Chopped mint leaves, optional
Procedure
Add all the ingredients to a bowl, then pour in the lemon vinaigrette dressing. Mix until well-combined. You can serve this with chips, as a side dish, or eat it as is.
Watermelon salad
Watermelons are synonymous with summer—they’re sweet but light, refreshing but also cooling, and best served chilled. In a salad, the sweetness of watermelon comes through when paired with crumbly feta cheese, crunchy onions, and, of course, a zesty lemon vinaigrette dressing.
Ingredients
1/4 of a watermelon, diced
1 block of feta cheese, diced (can substitute with Kesong puti)
1 red onion, chopped
Procedure
Add all the ingredients to a bowl, then pour in the dressing. Mix until well-combined.
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