A quick, versatile fresh summer salad as either a light side or a meal.
Dinner doesn’t need to be complicated. Adding a side salad with fresh greens, vegetables, nuts and cheeses is not only a healthier choice, it’s quickly do-able even after a long day. Summer welcomes lighter fare and the opportunity to enjoy seasonal produce to create a myriad of different salads as either a meal or an accompaniment to larger meals.
I happened upon a generously packed clam shell of sweet grape tomatoes and some organic greens of baby lettuces perfect for versatile salads. This is the type of salad that serves well with practically anything you pair it with (well, just about everything!). The juicy sweet grape tomatoes, pungent flavors of feta cheese and delicate buttery pine nuts rounds a balance of flavors served amongst fresh baby greens and lettuces. Drizzle a light vinaigrette on the salad and maybe toss a few dried cranberries and this salad could be a light meal in and of itself.
The eclectic combination of flavorful ingredients for this salad was perfect with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and some beautiful filet mignons we enjoyed a couple of nights ago.
- No pine nuts on hand? Substitute sunflower seeds, candied pecans or walnuts.
- Roasting the pine nuts is optional. However, the creaminess and natural buttery flavors of the pine nuts really come through when roasted. If you’re going to roast them, save yourself some time for future salads and prepare more than you need. Store them in a sealed baggy or air-tight container in the fridge and they’ll be ready for your next dish or snacking!
- No feta cheese in the fridge? Blue cheese is a good substitute!
- Dried cranberries sprinkled in the salad would be a nice addition.
- Leftover roasted chicken or steak, warmed, sliced thin and fanned out on top of the salad would be wonderful too.
Roasted Pine Nuts (pignolias)
Serves 2
2 1/2 – 3 cups of mixed lettuce greens, loosely packed
10-12 sweet grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
2 – 3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons pine nuts (pignolias), roasted
Dried cranberries (optional)
Light Vinaigrette, or 1 whole lemon
Tellicherry peppercorns, grind to taste
Roasting pine nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet and place in oven for 10-13 minutes. Keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn.
Place mixed lettuce greens in the middle of each plate. Arrange the grape tomatoes around the salad. Sprinkle feta cheese, pine nuts and optional dried cranberries on salad.
Drizzle a light vinaigrette OR squeeze a fresh lemon on salad and finish it off with freshly ground peppercorns, to taste.
Sweet Grape Tomatoes
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful salad! You just have such a way with your camera – everything looks so incredible!
Hope you have a fantastic 4th of July :)
Could you please arrange one more set of fork and knife? I really want to join you for the dinner! What a lovely salad!
Great salad…I love salad as a meal, and this one is perfect!
There’s something weird going on with pine nuts in LA! Where’d you find them? TJs is totally out, and they’re totally expensive in other stores. That’s too bad because they are awesome and make a great addition to anything!
Thanks for the heads up, Duo Dishes. We’ve been having a Twitter conversation about the lack of and pricey issues currently surrounding pine nuts. Must be concerning for sure if Trader Joe’s is out. Hurry… head over to Costco! =)
I love pine nuts! What a great summer salad :)
Yes, pine nuts. Thanks Baking Serendipity!
Love all the ingredients in this salad…so perfect for summer!
Thanks Biren from Roti n Rice – How’s you’re summer going and that vacation?
This is the perfect time of year for these light salads. There’s plenty of fresh vegetables in the farmers markets, and my garden is starting to produce an abundance of lettuces.
Hi Kristi – I’m so enjoying produce shopping right now! I luv marveling at the new produce and smelling everything. Wish we had better Farmer’s Markets around here. Oh! You must have a gorgeous garden. Please help me with mine (I’m a bit challenged!) =)
That salad looks so fresh and perfect for summer!
Mmm. Fresh and perfect for this time of year! Thanks Simply Life.
That looks is too beautiful to eat! It looks delicious though too! Great job!
LOL! Thanks Posh Pops. It’s quite delicious… ya gotta indulge and feel good about it, because it’s good stuff! :o)
I couldn’t agree with you more, I make salads like this for dinner ALL the time!!! These types of dishes are my saving grace when it comes to eating a healthy dinner. This one looks especially beautiful with the bright greens and sunny grape tomatoes. :)
Cilantropist…I think because we enjoy such beautious weather more often than not in our neck of the woods, there’s just something about the warmer weather and not wanting to feel bogged down from being full. There’s too much more of a gorgeous day to enjoy and feeling full from a meal can be a kill-joy (even if it’s tasty!) =)
I like the idea of the candied walnuts, much better than pine nuts….the salad looks wonderful with the feta and until the real tomatoes come in grape tomatoes are the best choice!
Great salad!
Hi Chef Dennis…I luv adding nuts to dishes. You prefer candied walnuts to pine nuts? Luv that combo too! =)
This picture radiates like the sun!
Thanks Rick. It’s a beautiful Summer’s sun on a glorious evening!
cranberries, feat and pinenuts oh how tasty…yum
sweetlife
Mmm. Thanks, sweetlife – good things {big smile}. :)
Side Dish? That luscious bit of perfection looks good enough to be dinner! GREG
LOL! Thanks Greg – SippitySup!!
The colors look so pretty! I love the light, simple flavors of the salad… sounds so tasty and perfect for a hot summer’s day.
Thank you, The Houswife. Light salads are definitely a good thing on warmer days (and any day for that matter!) =)
Pretty salad, I love everything in it!
There’s some good stuff in this simple salad…but it packs some balanced flavors! Thanks Patty. :)
This dish looks absolutely delicious! I will definitely get these ingredients to make this on my next visit to the market =)
Thank you Laura….please let me know how you liked the combination of ingredients or if you made some changes/twists to it you can share!
You have me sold. Anything with fresh greens and feta cheese makes me happy.
LOL! Monet … I can’t tell you how I heart feta. If I can toss feta in it…I will! I even found a recipe for muffins that use feta (it was sooo good too). We’re both happy!
Gorgeous photo! I love the way the light falls across it. And the salad looks fabulous as well :-)
Thank you Lana. Summer time evenings lend beautiful, moody lighting that help sets the stage for some warm, self-story telling photographs. :)
Adding chicken or meat like you mentioned makes it a meal! Great ingredients and ideas. I could have this for lunch today!!
Hiya and thank you Samantha! I could have it for lunch today too (almost out of pine nuts, though!)
This is a gorgeous salad! I love the combination of goodies (including the pine nuts). ;)
Thanks bunkycooks! Pine nuts have that buttery flavor that kinda just sets them apart from other nuts. =)
Glorious display! Great tips too. I serve salad every night and you are right, it doesn’t have to be complicated to be delish!
Hi redkathy – aren’t salads great? They’re great for any meal after early breakfasts and the most simplest of salads can be sophisticated just by what you’ve added to it.
Beautiful combination! I love grape tomatoes. I can eat them like grapes.
Hi penny – yes, me too! This summer I’m particularly fond of them. Maybe because right now, they’re so sweet and they’re like ornaments in a dish.
Great Salad, I enjoy eating salads just like this one, thanks for sharing your handy Teenie Notes!
Thanks CC Recipe…I hope the Teenie Notes are helpful and fun! =)
Looks delicious I love every ingredient in there and there is something about toasted nuts that will always remind of summer I dunno why!
Hi Viviane – toasted nuts…aren’t they just the icing? I really enjoy adding ‘em in dishes, especially baked goods. Best of all, they’re good for you – in moderation! :)