Summer Vegetable Salad

Published August 21, 2021

I have so many homegrown cucumbers this year that I’ve used them in flavored water and to make jars of homemade sweet pickles.

I brainstormed other ways to use up my cucumbers when I thought of the Thai cucumber dipping sauce. Could I create a recipe that used cucumbers as the star of the dish? And what about other summer produce?

Thus, this week’s recipe video was created!

Summer Vegetable Salad Ingredients

New Jersey corn is the sweetest, brightest corn you’ll ever taste. I used Costco corn for this recipe and cooked then cut the corn from the cob.

Most gardeners in New Jersey can grow their own bell peppers and tomatoes, so that’s why I’ve included them in this summer vegetable salad recipe. You can use any color of bell pepper that you want. I selected a green one to use as a new color in my summer salad.

Since I was serving this summer vegetable salad as a meal, I added a can of low-sodium chickpeas as the protein. I didn’t intentionally select low-sodium, but I thought it was worth mentioning this distinction, as I added some additional salt to this recipe. Feel free to use full-sodium if you want. I encourage you to taste your salad and dressing as you go to make sure you don’t over-salt it.

Summer Vegetable Salad Instructions

Tools for this Dish

• Cutting board

• Chef and paring knife

• Large bowl for serving

• Measuring cup (for dressing)

• Large pot and tongs (for cooking corn)

Cooking Notes

Removing Seeds

My only note for this easy summer vegetable salad is that I tried to remove most of the seeds whenever possible.

You can eat cucumber seeds without noticing the texture. My cucumbers were small enough that leaving the seeds in place was not an issue. I had one cucumber that was medium-sized, and in that case I used a spoon to remove the seeds.

Same for the fresh tomatoes, I tried to remove the extra water and seeds and only used the flesh for the salad.

The Final Product

I served the summer vegetable salad at room temperature. I topped the individual servings with salt and pepper and more basil (which I love). Feel free to customize this based on your preferences. This summer salad is also light and refreshing when served chilled from the refrigerator.

Recipe Score

I give the summer vegetable salad a 9 of 10 for the following:

• Recipe Level

  • Easy: This recipe uses whole fresh ingredients. Mincing them into tiny pieces allows you to get a bite with all of the ingredients. You do not have to chop them perfectly and most of the seasoning is to your preference.

• Ingredients

  • If you grow your own produce, you should have a good number of these ingredients in your own garden. If not, depending on your season, you should be able to find these vegetables in your local market.

• Prep

  • The only prep task would be to cook the ears of corn and allow them to cool before assembling the salad.

• Flavor

  • 10/10: Nothing compares to the natural flavor of fresh produce. The corn and tomatoes are naturally sweet. The chickpeas provide a mellow texture. The basil works well with the freshness of the dish, while the peppers provide a crunchy, savory texture.

K. Martinelli Makes Summer Vegetable Salad

What recipes do you make during the summer?

Leave a comment below and tell me about it! If you’re looking for more recipes to make this summer, click here to find more.