The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (2024)

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This "ultimate" summer salad recipe is filled with a fantastic mix of summertime fruits and vegetables, and is topped with a creamy, low-calorie buttermilk dill dressing. 134 calories and 1 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (1)

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing

A great summer salad recipe is essential! I love a good steak as much as the next cavewoman, but please tell me I'm not the only one who can't even fathom eating something that requires cutting (makes me sweat) or extra chewing (oh, the effort) when it's hot out. In fact, I have several criteria for hot weather food. You may call it high-maintenance. I call it self-preservation.

Rule #1: Preparation of any meal must not result in me having to wrap an ice pack around my neck to ward off the extra heat. Very important. No one likes a sweaty cook.

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (2)

Rule #2: There must not be any sort of steam rising from the food when it's served. Steam = hot = crabby Dara. Bring on the cool stuff: chilled soups, sorbet and co*cktails. Plenty of co*cktails.

Cold food + co*cktails = cheerful, non-crabby Dara

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (3)

Rule #3: All recipients of said food must pretend to be happy with night after night of salads, chilled soups and bowls of watermelon. This attitude, real or fake, will result in pleasant conversation and a cool, calm mum/wife/hostess. My self-preservation leads to your self-preservation.

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (4)

My "ultimate" summer salad recipe:

This summer salad recipe, which I refer to as "ultimate" because it is packed with all of the summer fruits and veggies that I love most, follows all of the rules. It's cold, it doesn't require any sort of steamy prep and my family loves it (or at least they've become very good at pretending they do...they're good rule followers).

I've served this salad as-is as a colorful side dish, and as a dinner salad (topped with leftover grilled chicken) for the four of us. The creamy dressing is surprisingly low-calorie, thanks to low fat buttermilk and plain Greek yogurt. Dijon mustard, fresh chopped dill and a touch of agave add in a great punch of flavor.

Now that's good summertime eating!

Other summer salad recipes:

Summertime Salmon Chopped Salad {Cookin' Canuck}
Greek Rice Salad Recipe with Lemon Vinaigrette {Cookin' Canuck}
Fresh Summer Corn Salad Recipe {Fox and Briar}
Chopped Feta Salad {Skinnytaste}

Printable Recipe

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (5)

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing

This ultimate summer salad is filled with a fantastic mix of summertime fruits and vegetables, and is topped with a creamy, low-calorie buttermilk dill dressing. 134 calories and 1 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entrees, Salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 134.3kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

The dressing:

The Salad:

  • 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2 ears corn cooked kernels cut off
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 1 green onion sliced
  • ¾ cup cooked & shelled edamame
  • ½ avocado chopped
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

Instructions

The Dressing:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, buttermilk, mustard, lemon juice, agave nectar and salt. Gently stir in the dill.

The Salad:

  • Place the romaine lettuce in a serving bowl.

  • Over the top, sprinkle the corn, tomato, green onion, edamame, avocado, blueberries and sunflower seeds.

  • Serve with the dressing.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 1 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 4 (Points+)

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5Cups Salad + 1 ½ tablespoon Dressing | Calories: 134.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.1g | Protein: 7.5g | Fat: 5.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 1.1mg | Sodium: 115.6mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

This post was originally published on July 28, 2014 and has been updated.

Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Barb Pawlik

    The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (11)
    I am laughing so hard because you have described my summer rules to a T!! I don't use the oven for at least 4 months! (Love the recipe, too.)

    Reply

    • Dara

      Right?! Ovens should not be engaged in temperatures about 75. 😉

      Reply

  2. Jenny

    This salad looks great!! However, I am unable to eat edamame, what substitute to do you recommend?

    Reply

  3. Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living

    I love everything about this summer salad - it's been so hot lately, I've been making a lot of salads and quick recipes too.

    Reply

  4. Olivia - Primavera Kitchen

    I can’t think of anything more delicious and healthy right now!!

    Reply

  5. Jeanie

    Love your hot weather cooking rules and I'm officially adopting them as my own...

    Reply

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing (2024)

FAQs

What is summer salad made of? ›

All you need are cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, bell pepper, feta cheese, and my homemade Greek salad dressing. Trust me when I say this homemade dressing makes every bit of difference.

When should salad dressing be added to a tossed salad Why? ›

The Complete Salad Cookbook is a game-changing compilation of failproof, modern salad recipes. By adding your dressing to the bowl first, you avoid a soggy salad, as the majority of toppings won't touch the liquid.

How to make a salad yummier? ›

Toss on a little something extra.

Try herbs, fruit, grains or cheese. Here the list is truly endless. When it comes to grains, go whole and choose something like quinoa, bulgur, farro, or wheat berries. With cheeses like goat or feta, a little goes a long way to add flavor.

How long does summer salad last in the fridge? ›

How long does salad last in the fridge? Stored correctly, an average salad will last up to five days in the fridge. Any longer than this, and you'll start to see soggy, wilting leaves. Stored incorrectly, and you could be looking at no more than a couple of hours!

What is the Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

If you haven't tried the viral Jennifer Aniston Salad, you've been missing out! It's a delicious healthy salad with a base of fluffy quinoa, crisp cucumbers, fresh herbs and chickpeas, topped with creamy feta and pistachios for crunch.

Do you put oil or vinegar on salad first? ›

If we prepare the three most popular ingredients used to season a salad we have: oil, vinegar and salt. And interestingly, that is the order most commonly used at the time of preparing this dish. However, this is erroneous. The correct order for dressing a salad is first the salt, then the vinegar and finally the oil.

Why add olive oil to salad dressing? ›

Extra virgin olive oil is a great choice for a salad dressing as it is rich in healthy fats that can lower cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease. It also contains antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and protect against oxidative damage.

What is the secret to making a good salad? ›

Season, taste, repeat

Every salad component should taste good enough to eat on its own, so season your leaves, your dressing, and your add-ins (raw veg, roasted veg, croutons, nuts, and protein), tasting for salt and acid as you go. Toss, taste, and—maybe, just maybe—season again.

Why do salads always taste better in restaurants? ›

Restaurants use really good ingredients.

Your ingredients can decide whether your salad turns out average or extraordinary, Jamie Simpson, executive chef liaison at The Chef's Garden, told Allrecipes. "Restaurant-quality salads start with restaurant-quality ingredients," he said.

What can I put in my salad to make it taste better? ›

12 Easy Ways to Make Salad Taste Amazing – Seriously
  1. Make Your Salad a Spectacle. ...
  2. Mix and Match Leaves. ...
  3. Upgrade Your Salad Dressings. ...
  4. Massage Your Salad Greens. ...
  5. Toss in Cooked Veggies. ...
  6. Add Fresh Herbs. ...
  7. Sweeten with Fruit. ...
  8. Heat Your Salad Dressing.
Mar 9, 2022

What is the difference between summer and winter salad? ›

The difference between summer and winter salads comes down to what produce is produced this time of year. You'll notice grocery stores full of things like figs, pomegranates, apples squashes, Brussels sprouts, arugula and beets, as opposed to summer produce like tomatoes, zucchini, berries and corn.

What are Salad days of summer? ›

"Salad days" is a Shakespearean idiom referring to a period of carefree innocence, idealism, and pleasure associated with youth. The modern use describes a heyday, when a person is/was at the peak of their abilities, while not necessarily a youth.

What is the most popular salad ingredients? ›

A typical salad starts with raw greens, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, mixed greens or arugula. However, you can also add several other raw vegetables. Some popular raw veggie toppings include chopped carrots, onions, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms and broccoli.

What is a common ingredient in salad? ›

Most leafy vegetables that can be eaten raw are used: all varieties of lettuce, garden cress and watercress, endives, cabbage, spinach, escarole, romaine (cos), arugula, and fresh herbs. Other vegetables, raw or cooked—tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, beets, and so on—may garnish the green salad.

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