Right about now, the hot weather has left most of us in Southern California unexcited about turning on our ovens. What's a great alternative? A crisp, cool salad. Sure, you'll need to do some washing and chopping but it means you can mostly avoid standing behind a hot stove. You'll also get to use summer fruits and vegetables in gloriously creative ways.
Cactus paddles or leaves, also known as nopales, are a great salad ingredient. Photo via Shutterstock.
Nopales Salad
You can thank Gustavo Arellano, the founder of KCRW's Tortilla Tournament and a writer at the Los Angeles Times, for this recipe involving cactus leaves, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and avocado. Get the recipe
Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Figs & Sumac Aioli
Chef David Lefevre, who has MB Post, Fishing with Dynamite, and The Arthur J in Manhattan Beach, says figs are a delicate fruit but worth the effort. He tosses fresh black mission figs with quinoa, arugula, asparagus and a dollop of sumac aioli for this refreshing late-summer salad. Get the recipe
Farmers Market Salad with Fava Tendrils
This farmers market-inspired salad features mixed baby lettuces, pickled crosnes, sautéed fava tendrils, glazed carrots, roasted cauliflower, and an onion vinaigrette. Get the recipe
Lettuce and Peach Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and Sour Orange Vinaigrette
Jack Bishop, the author of A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen: Easy Seasonal Dishes for Family & Friends, plays with sweet and tart flavors in this salad. Get the recipe
Not Your Everyday Caprésé
A native of Savannah, Georgia, chef Holly Jivin's version of a caprese involves blanching cherry tomatoes for 7 seconds then marinating them in a mix of mirin and balsamic vinegar. Get the recipe
Pairing tomatoes with beets makes for a beautiful salad. Photo by Evan Kleiman
Salad of Two Reds
Pairing beets and tomatoes, Evan Kleiman prefers to roast rather than boil her beets because the flavor is sweeter and the color more intense. The sweetness of the tomatoes tame the earthiness of the beets. Feel free to use any color of tomato you wish and don't be afraid to change up the herbs. White beans are a terrific addition. Get the recipe
Summer Corn and Tomatillo Salad with Crisp Pig Ears
It doesn't get much more summer than sweet corn and peppers, and there are dozens of corn varieties to choose from. Chef Gavin Mills likes the bicolor corn varieties that come from cross-pollinating white and yellow plants. If you want a vegetarian version, just skip the pig ears. Get the recipe
Moroccan Beet Salad
The earthiness of beets gets a bit of sweetness from a dressing made with dark honey or sorghum syrup. You can thank Cheryl Forberg, the author of Stop the Clock! Cooking: Defy Aging–Eat the Foods You Love. Get the recipe
Parsley Salad
Tamar Adler, known for her ability to resurrect leftovers, says she rarely uses more than three ingredients and a simple vinaigrette when she makes a salad. For this one, she pairs parsley with shallots, capers, and cornichons. Get the recipe
Raw Kale Salad
Clemence Gosset of the Gourmandise School developed this recipe for kids but it works just as well for adults. Oranges add tartness, avocados make it creamy, and tomatoes bring the sweetness of late summer. Get the recipe
In North Africa, there are many variations on carrot salad. Photo via Shutterstock
Tunisian Carrot Salad
Adapted from Kitty Morse's book, North Africa: The Vegetarian Table, the Tunisian carrot salad adds caraway and harissa to the classic Moroccan version of the dish, which features cooked carrots tossed with olive oil, garlic, cumin, lemon, and parsley. Get the recipe
Cherries and Baby Tomatoes with Lemon Basil and Mint
Using fruit in savory dishes has a long history in Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and European cuisines. From poultry and fish bathed in coconut milk to the tang of duck à l'orange, Pascale Beale pairs cherries with baby tomatoes. Get the recipe
Green Papaya Salad
The recipe for this salad, a Hmong favorite, comes from Cooking from the Heart, which was the first English-language cookbook of Hmong recipes and culinary traditions when it was published in 2009. You can make it with green papaya or shredded carrots. Get the recipe
Savory Cherry Almond Salad
Cherries aren't often used in savory dishes but Amelia Saltsman was inspired by a recipe she found in a Los Angeles Times Cookbook from 1911. Cherries add a sweet-tart snap to an elegant salad. She recommends using several kinds of cherries for contrasting flavors, colors, and textures. Get the recipe
A cook adds tea leaves to lahpet thoke, Burmese tea leaf salad. Photo via Shutterstock
Burmese Tea Leaf Salad
"This salad is often called Burma's national dish," Naomi Duguid explains. "Lahpet is the word for 'green tea' and thoke means 'salad' (it's pronounced 'la-pay toe'). It's a dazzling combination of fermented tea leaves, soft-textured and a little acid and astringent, with other tastes and textures: crisp, roasted peanuts and other crunchy beans, toasted sesame seeds, dried shrimp, and fried garlic." Get the recipe
Dapple Dandy Pluot Salad
Chef Ray Garcia, who recently took over the kitchen at the Rose Venice, which celebrates its 45th birthday this year, likes to use farmers market pluots, among other seasonal produce, in his salads. Get the recipe
Fennel and Gnocchi Salad with Fennel Frond Pesto
"Here is a lovely double fennel salad," Hetty Lui McKinnon explains, "a wonderful way to show how we can create an entire meal around one vegetable: crunchy shaved raw fennel is slathered in fennel frond pesto and tossed with crispy morsels of pan-fried gnocchi." Get the recipe
A New Ambrosia
In The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor, South Carolina-bred brothers, Matt and Ted Lee shared their recipe for an ambrosia salad that skips the marshmallows and Cool Whip. Get the recipe
Bhel puri, the Indian puffed rice salad, involves yams, garbanzo beans, and puffed rice. Photo via Shutterstock
Bhel Puri (Indian Puffed Rice Salad)
Susan Feniger cites her first trip to India in 1982 as a transformational experience. She fell in love with the complex flavors and textures that were so different than her background. She showcased her version of bhel puri in Susan Feniger's Street Food: Irresistibly Crispy, Creamy, Crunchy, Spicy, Sticky, Sweet Recipes. Get the recipe
Bean & Radish Salad
This is not your grandma's three-bean salad. Chef Chris Cosentino urges you to use this recipe as a template that you can rework with as many different types of beans as you like. The more colors and textures you have, the better. He especially likes crisp radishes mixed with creamy cannellini beans. Although he's known as the king of pig, his book Beginnings: My Way To Start A Meal has a startling amount of vegetables. Get the recipe
Melon au Porto
French chef, author, and television personality Eric Ripert loves the simplicity of cooking with seasonal produce. He says when melons are in season, this dish is served throughout France on special occasions. If you don't have a melon baller, cut the fruit into cubes. The idea is to have small bites. Eat it with a spoon, never a fork, so you can eat the melon and drink the port at the same time. Get the recipe
Soba with Grilled Asparagus and Sea Scallops with Sweet Miso Sauce
When you want something more filling, try this recipe from Corinne Trang, the author of Noodles Everyday: Delicious Asian Recipes from Ramen to Rice Sticks. Get the recipe
Fire Salad
Wild Child: Adventure Cooking with Kids offers simple but elegant meals that'll please kids and adults. This simple salad stars beets, carrots, onions, and greens dressed with an herby vinaigrette. Get the recipe
A tahini-based ranch dressing puts a twist on the classic wedge salad. Photo by Graydon Herriot
Andy Baraghani's Vedge Wedge Salad
A wedge salad isn't just for your grandpa's favorite steakhouse. Andy Baraghani's update on the classic still features cold, crisp lettuce but it's cut into smaller pieces so the dressing, a garlicky tahini-based ranch, can penetrate the leafy layers. Get the recipe
BONUS: Evan Kleiman's Garlic-Parmesan Salad Dressing
Throw together your favorite greens and whatever vegetables you have in the fridge then toss with a liberal application of this salad dressing. Be sure to eat it with someone you love. Get the recipe