Ayurvedic Summer Salad

Fresh and full of flavour, this recipe is my favourite go-to summer salad at this time of year! With lots of cooling ingredients like pomegranate, cilantro and lime, this an amazing quick and easy meal to beat the summer heat.

Using quinoa as your grain and adding chickpeas gives this salad some substance so you’ll be left feeling fuller for longer than your typical summer salad.

Make it for friends and family at your next summer BBQ! It will be a welcome change for your guests from regular potato salad and pasta salads and hopefully one of their new favorite summer salads too!

It’s also a great lunchbox meal for a picnic in the park as you enjoy a summer breeze. You can also store it in the fridge in an airtight container for a summery lunch at work.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick, easy, simple – Summer is not always as easy going once you have kids (lol!) so this is a quick, easy and simple recipe you can make to keep yourself fuelled for the demands of chasing your kids around!

Full of whole foods – In just one bowl, you’re getting plenty of sources of whole foods, giving you a source of carbs, protein and antioxidants. Want some extra protein? Try adding some tuna!

A flexible base recipe – Craving some other summer flavors? Feel free to experiment with the recipe by substituting for other summer foods like corn, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, avocado, or other fresh veggies and fresh herbs you can find at the farmers market.

Ayurveda Perspective on Summer Salad

Even though salads are considered to be a ‘healthy’ option, they actually get a bad wrap in Ayurveda!

Here’s why – in Ayurveda, it’s not just about what you eat, it’s about what you can digest. Most typical salads are packed tonnes of raw, cold ingredients, and often contain incompatible food combinations – all of which can put a strain on digestion (agni).

For example, a salad made with fresh peaches, feta cheese, heirloom tomatoes and some raw carrots might be delicious, but this combination of ingredients is difficult to digest.

So how do you make your salad a little more Ayurveda friendly?

First, make sure your base is a cooked ingredient and serve warm (like quinoa or roast vegetables). Keep your salad simple – don’t load it up with every ingredient you have just because it’s ‘healthy’.

Also, add a digestive dressing to your salad! The dressing used in this recipe includes cooling digestives like cilantro and lime (instead of herbs like basil and tangy vinegar which are heating) making it perfect for the summer months.

What You’ll Need

For the salad:

• Quinoa
• Mixed Greens
• Cilantro
• Chickpeas
• Pomegranate

For the dressing:

• Cilantro
• Hummus
• Olive oil
• Lime juice

How to Make This Summer Salad – Step by Step

Step 1: While the quinoa is cooking, make your dressing (full instructions below).

Step 2: When the quinoa is cooked, portion it out with the rest of your ingredients (making sure to wash and dry/spin greens first) in your favourite bowl and toss together before topping with dressing and pomegranate seeds.

Step 3: That’s it! Enjoy!

Recipe Tip: Pomegranates give this recipe an incredible texture and juicy crunch. Can’t find pomegranate? Flaked almonds or sunflower seeds are great options for some crunch!

If You Love This Summer Salad, Try These Recipes Too!

• Pitta Friendly Blueberry Smoothie
• Simple Green Smoothie with Ginger
• Warm Winter Salad (Sweet Potato, Halloumi & Pomegranate)
• Kitchari – Ayurveda’s Ultimate Superfood

Are You Going to Make This Ayurvedic Summer Salad?

If you make one of my recipes, I would love to know how it turns out! Make sure to leave a review in the comments section below. It means so much to me and helps others find my recipes too!

Also, make sure to follow @ayurvedawithrebecca on Instagram & Pinterest for more healthy, Ayurveda inspired recipes! You can also save this recipe for later by adding it to your recipe board on Pinterest!