Transform summer fruit salads with savory add-ons
Nothing says summer quite like the seasonal fruit salad — a dish that's light, fresh and crisp, with endless ways to customize.
Aside from being relatively simple to create, fruit salads are extremely popular now, as produce can be found fresh at such places as local farmers markets, says Angela Martindale, a national healthy foods and lifestyle coach and celebrity trainer. “The flavors are just more intense,” she says.
The best way to transform a fruit salad into a well-rounded meal is to add greens, nuts and cheeses, which help stabilize blood sugar levels, she says.
“When you add too many high-calorie fruits, you're basically eating your dessert and spiking your insulin,” she says.
But there are countless ways to create a salad with fruit as a topping — and finding a balance between possible flavors is a great way to experiment, says Holly Amore, resident chef at Sur La Table in Naperville. In addition to fruit, one special ingredient — such as toasted almonds or fresh herbs — can really fancy it up, she says. A sweet vinaigrette adds the perfect final touch.
“A lot of it is just going to be trial and error,” Amore says. “The most common thing is for people to have something (out) and then try to recreate it at home.”
A fancy fruit salad is ideal because of its flexibility: It can be a main dish or a party side. Adding protein in the form of chicken strips or a salmon slice will help you stay full.
“With two cups of spinach, you're getting 25 percent of your needed iron intake,” Martindale says, “and by adding a fillet of salmon or some rotisserie chicken, now you've added 25 grams of protein.”
The Spinach Berry Salad, courtesy of Martindale, is elegant but simple to make. “Right now, goat cheese is at its seasonal best,” she says. “This dish is full of vitamin C and K, and pecans add healthy fat.”
An Avocado and Pineapple Salad with Arugula, topped by candied pumpkin seeds, is on the menu at Barbakoa in Downers Grove, made by Executive Chef Dudley Nieto. Women in particular are drawn to arugula as a favorite green, he says, which is balanced by the sweetness of the pineapple and strawberries.
“People want something that feels good without filling their stomachs,” Dudley says. “It also has that buttery flavor of avocado and the crispiness from the seeds.”
Watermelon and Feta Cheese Salad with balsamic drizzle, meanwhile, features a perfect pair — the saltiness of the cheese complements the fruit's sweet flavor. The drizzle offers a tartness, and you can pair the dish with a dry sparkling rose wine to further bring out the flavors.