Light Summer Meals That Nourish and Satisfy
When the weather warms up, most of us naturally crave lighter, refreshing meals. Heavy curries and oily snacks can feel too much in the heat, especially if you have bloating, low energy or hormonal changes that make digestion more sensitive.
This season is the perfect time to bring in colourful, nutrient-packed salads that don’t just taste good, but also leave you feeling energised and light.
Here are three of my favourite summer salad recipes that are quick to prepare, high in fibre and plant protein, and full of flavour. These are perfect for lunch, dinner or even a satisfying side dish.
Easy Chickpea Salad (Serves 2)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can chickpeas)
- 3/4 cup diced cucumber
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 small avocado, diced
- 1 tbsp red onion, diced (optional)
- Small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped fine
- 1 small yellow pepper, diced
- 1 small orange pepper, diced
Dressing:
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, chopped fine
- 1 green chili, chopped fine
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake well.
In a bowl combine all the salad ingredients (except avocado) and then mix in the dressing. Layer the avocado above.
Getting healthy is not difficult to do when you can make quick, easy and delicious meals to have. This salad takes less than 10 minutes to make and can be enjoyed for either lunch or as a side.
I used canned chickpeas to save time, and all the ingredients are easily available wherever you live.
Edamame Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large handful of rocket leaves
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup edamame beans
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup sweetcorn
Dressing:
- 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
- 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 green chili, chopped finely
- 1/2 tsp chives, chopped (or to taste)
- Pinch of sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Make your salad dressing in a small jar. Add the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, green chili, chives, sea salt, and black pepper to the jar. Mix well.
In a large bowl, place your rocket leaves. Add in your cherry tomatoes, edamame beans, yellow pepper, and sweetcorn.
Add the dressing to your salad and mix in well. Enjoy and serve as a side salad.
If you don’t have rocket leaves, please use any other leafy greens instead.
Three Bean Salad with Tahini Dressing (Serves 4)
If you want more variety, you must try this salad. It’s delicious, satisfying and colourful, made with three beans.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup cooked kidney beans
- 1 cup cooked cannellini beans
- 1 cup orange pepper, diced small
- 1 cup yellow pepper, diced small
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, diced small
- Large handful baby spinach leaves, chopped
- Small handful coriander leaves, chopped
- Small handful parsley leaves, chopped
Tahini Dressing:
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Juice from 1/2 large lemon (or to taste)
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Mix the tahini in the water first, making sure there are no lumps. Then mix in the other dressing ingredients and if it’s too thick add more water accordingly.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl, then mix in the dressing. Serve after 1 hour, so the beans can absorb the flavours of the dressing.
If you want to add some chilli into it, add some into the dressing.
Sujata Din is a certified health coach, recipe creator, and wellness expert with over 12 years of experience helping women over 40 eat better, feel lighter, and increase their energy levels naturally. Her approach combines nutrition education with practical, everyday cooking, no complicated ingredients. She believes healthy eating should be simple, affordable, and full of flavour. Her recipes are designed to nourish the body, support digestion, and support hormones, while still being quick to prepare and enjoyable for the whole family.
In this salad collection, Sujata shares some of her favourite refreshing salads that are rich in plant protein, fibre, and essential nutrients.
