Chef Sundaraman Ramaswamy Shares His Favourite Summer Salad Recipes 

With a rise in temperature, the season of heat waves and sweating is here. It is the time to stay away from fatty and greasy food and add light and refreshing recipes to our meals. A perfect summer diet includes all seasonal veggies and fruits that keeps you hydrated and energised during this season. Some popular dishes during summer are mango curry, watermelon soup, bottle gourd sabzi, curd-rice and a variety of sharbat. 

Apart from these foods, salad is another refreshing delight that is popular during this season. Made with a variety of healthy and delicious ingredients, it is perfect for all kinds of meals including breakfast. Being dense in nutrients and low in calories, a salad can be prepared according to your taste preferences. Be it fruits, veggies, legumes or meat, this healthy dish can incorporate everything in one bowl. You can also season the salad with your favourite spices and herbs. 

Holistic Salad

Portion: 1 serving  

Duration: 45 minutes 

Ingredients 

• 80 gm quinoa 
• 2 gm microgreens 
• 25 gm sweet potato 
• 25 gm avocado 
• 30 gm garbanzo bean 
• 15 gm cherry tomato 
• 1 tsp avocado oil 
• 3 ml lemon juice 
• 0.05 gm olive oil 
• 0.04 gm salt 
• 0.05 gm pepper

Method 

• Add water to a saucepan and add salt; once boiled, add quinoa and boil for about 13 minutes, strain it and pass through running water. 
• Wash the sweet potato and add the salt, pepper, and olive oil to toast at about 170 degrees Celsius for about 25 minutes until cooked and soft. Keep aside until it cools. 
• Soak Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) overnight for 12 hours, add water to a pot and add salt. Boil the chickpeas for about 30 minutes. 
• Cut sweet potatoes into cubes. Add the quinoa and the garbanzo beans to the mixing bowl, then add the diced avocado, lemon juice and cherry tomatoes.  
• Dress with avocado oil and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Check seasoning and garnish with microgreens.

Caprese Salad 

Portion: 1 serving  

Duration: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• 100 gm heirloom tomato 
• 80 gm toy box tomato 
• 10 gm fresh tomato slice 
• 2 gm salt 
• 5 gm pepper 
• 5 ml extra virgin olive oil 
• 10 ml balsamic vinegar 
• 5 gm microgreen 
• 5 gm edible flower 
• 100 gm burrata cheese 
• 2 gm basil

Method 

• Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, leaving the toy box tomato intact, and season with salt, pepper, olive oil and chopped basil leaves. 
• Slice the fresh whole tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, and olive oil. 
• In a saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar and reduce to 50% for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until it thickens and glazes. 
• Plate the tomato and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. 
• Place the entire burrata cheese in the centre of the plate. 
• Top with microgreens, edible flowers, and basil leaves to garnish.