Come rain or shine, here are our top picks of healthy summer salads to enjoy.
Perfect for summer, Heston Blumenthal's recipe offers wedges of fresh, ripe peach with luxurious Parma ham and shavings of gruyère cheese, served with chard and rocket leaves. Toss the leaves in a simple vinaigrette, and drizzle a sticky balsamic vinegar reduction over the top. Take a look at the picture above and tell us it doesn't look delicious!
Corn, beans and squash: three key ingredients to make a vibrant salad, though they're helped along by spring onions, avocado and pomegranate seeds. Possibly the most colourful salad around, and also perhaps the healthiest. You can add or subtract pretty much anything you like so long as it's colourful and healthy!
Broad beans contain loads of iron and a surprising amount of protein, while courgettes are low in calories and contain vital vitamins and minerals. Pancetta isn't the healthiest option (though it is irresistible), and you might consider substituting it for some toasted cashews or peanuts to make this a bit better for you.
Warm chicken salad is a good option for a cooler day when you still want to eat light. Go easy on the bacon – a little goes a long way in terms of flavour – and pick lean cuts of chicken. The salad leaves are changeable, but kale is a nice pick as this works well with the orange dressing.
Fish, eggs and olives. That's three ticks on the health chart, though don't go overboard with the last, as they're rather salty. The eggs and salmon fulfill your protein needs, and the greens and tomatoes make up the vitamins. And forget the nutritional info for a sec – it's just a gorgeous salad.
Raw veggies are lovely and crunchy, and quinoa is renowned for its health benefits. If quinoa isn't your thing, cooked and cooled lentils might work too. Choose the best quality extra virgin olive oil, and use the youngest plants you can find, as they'll be crisp but tender.
Now the asparagus season's here, you'd be foolish to turn down any excuse to eat as many of these wonderful green spears as possible. So here's one more reason. Mix with broad beans and rocket leaves before drizzling them with a zesty dressing. All your green needs satisfied in one bowl.
A warm salad, this is nice on a cooler evening, as it's comforting but is still really good for you. 'Wheatberry' is just another name for whole wheat grains; you might also choose to use spelt, farro or barley. Mix them in with mushrooms, leeks and shredded sage for a nutritious dinner.
Eggplant soaks up the flavours of everything around it, so once you've poured the accompanying dressing over the tender halves of the fruit, give it a minute or so to sink in before you serve. The dressing is a spicy yoghurt mix incorporating olive oil with cumin, turmeric and ginger, but you can tweak it to match your own tastes.
It might come from the Middle East, but tabbouleh works well as an all-weather, all-purpose salad. You can enjoy it as a starter, side or main, and this one is simply seasoned with parsley and mint. You can add a flourish of scattered pomegranate seeds over the top if you wish.
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