Easy Summer Salads to Make This Season

July 2026

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With such a huge variety of fresh and different ingredients now readily available, there's never been a better time to discover some new salad recipes

Taking inspiration from around the world, these vibrant recipes show you how to create the most delicious, hearty and nutritious salads for summer.

Tandoori Chicken Salad with Crisp Chickpeas & Mango

The combination of succulent spice-coated chicken, crisp roasted chickpeas and sweet, ripe mango is a real winner in this substantial salad. Serve with warm naan bread or roasted new potatoes.

Serves

Ingredients

1 heaped tbsp tandoori spice mix
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for drizzling
250ml natural yogurt
freshly squeezed juice of 1 large lemon
600g skinless, boneless chicken breasts
150g canned chickpeas, drained
4 heaped tbsp freshly chopped mint leaves
4 large handfuls of mixed salad leaves
1 small red onion, cut into thin rings
1 mango, halved, stoned, peeled and sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

To make the marinade, mix together the tandoori spice mix, turmeric and garam masala in a large, shallow dish. Stir in the sunflower oil, 100ml of the yogurt and half the lemon juice, and season. Add the chicken and spoon the marinade over until it is thoroughly coated, then leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

Put the chickpeas in a baking dish, drizzle over a little oil, season, and toss until they are coated. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning once, or until crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, put the chicken in a roasting pan, spoon any leftover marinade over and roast for 20–25 minutes, until cooked through and there is no trace of pink inside. Let the chicken rest for five minutes.

Mix together the remaining yogurt and lemon juice, season, then stir in the mint and one tablespoon water to make the dressing. Arrange the salad leaves on four serving plates and top with the onion and mango.

Cut the chicken diagonally into thin slices. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the salad, drizzle the dressing on top and sprinkle with the crisp chickpeas.

Orzo & Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto Dressing

Orzo, the small, rice-shaped pasta also known as risoni, is perfect for salads as it holds its shape when cooked and combines beautifully with other ingredients. Serve this orzo salad on its own or as an accompaniment to grilled meat, fish or vegetables.

Serves

Ingredients

400g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
250g dried orzo
100g rocket leaves
2 handfuls of basil leaves
6 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
50g Parmesan cheese shavings
For the pesto dressing
6 heaped tbsp basil pesto
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Put the tomatoes in a roasting pan and drizzle over a little olive oil, turn to coat them in the oil, season and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until softened and starting to colour.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in a large pan of boiling salted water following the pack instructions, then drain, reserving two tablespoons of the cooking water. Put the orzo into a serving bowl.

Mix together all the ingredients for the pesto dressing, stir in the reserved cooking water and season. Spoon the dressing over the orzo and stir until combined. Add the roasted tomatoes and rocket and toss again gently. Garnish with the basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese before serving.

Scallop & Green Papaya Salad with Lemongrass Dressing

Inspired by the flavours of Thailand, this light and zingy salad is topped with seared scallops, but it would work equally well with other types of seafood such as salmon, sea bass, crab, king prawns or squid. If you can’t find green papaya, you could use green-fleshed melon.

Serves

Ingredients

1 green papaya, peeled, halved and seeded
10cm cucumber
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
12 shelled prepared scallops
olive oil, for brushing
a handful of coriander leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the lemongrass dressing
freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 tsp finely chopped peeled fresh root ginger
2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves discarded and finely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

Method

Shred the papaya using a mandoline or cut into long, thin strips. Slice the cucumber into ribbons using the mandoline or vegetable peeler, discarding the column of seeds in the centre. Put the papaya, cucumber and chilli in a bowl.

Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing until the sugar dissolves, then pour it over the salad, toss until combined and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Divide the salad between four serving plates.

Brush the scallops with a little oil and season.

Heat a ridged griddle pan over a high heat and griddle the scallops for one minute on each side until just cooked. Arrange the scallops on top of the papaya salad and garnish with the coriander leaves.