This Sunday Summer Salad is the perfect summer meal: fresh, satisfying, and full of bright flavors. It’s light enough for a warm day but substantial enough to serve as a complete dinner or to bring to a potluck. The combination of crisp vegetables, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, tender roasted chicken, and a tangy, herb-forward dressing makes it a standout summer dish.
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A Note From Teri on Sunday Summer Salad
All summer long I find myself making this salad again and again. It leaves me feeling energized and satisfied without weighing me down. The dressing—creamy, bright, and herbaceous—pulls everything together. It’s easy to prep the components ahead of time; I often pack ingredients separately in jars or containers and assemble the salad when I’m ready to eat. It travels well, making it ideal for picnics, cabin weekends, or casual gatherings.
This version is an ode to summer produce: French green beans for snap, radishes for peppery crunch, and ripe avocados for creaminess. I simplified the protein by using my roasted chicken method for quick, flavorful chicken pieces rather than a lengthy marinade. Swap or omit ingredients to suit what’s in season or what you have on hand.
The ideal dressing for this salad is a Creamy Chive Citrus Dressing: bright lemon, fresh chives, mellow olive oil, and a touch of anchovy for depth. It’s silky and luminous and really elevates the salad. If you prefer something different, a charred scallion dressing or another light vinaigrette will also work well.
Ingredients and Variations
For the Creamy Chive Citrus Dressing:
- 1 large egg
- Light olive oil
- Chives, finely chopped
- Fresh lemon juice
- Shallots, minced
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic, pressed
- Anchovy (optional, for depth)
- Hot sauce
- Lemon zest
- Kosher salt
For the Salad:
- Your choice of greens (baby romaine is used here)
- Kosher salt
- Marinated red onions and their oil
- Roasted or rotisserie chicken, cubed
- French green beans, blanched
- Radicchio, thinly sliced
- Cucumbers, sliced into half moons
- Radishes, thinly sliced
- Avocados, cubed
- California green olives, halved
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Pepperoncini, thinly sliced
- Celery, thinly sliced
- Hearts of palm, chopped (optional)
- Red wine vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
Feel free to customize: add crumbled Manchego or feta, fresh mozzarella pearls, toasted pepitas, or crunchy peanuts. Swap greens or toss in some shredded cabbage or sprouts. The salad is forgiving and welcomes creativity—aim for a balance of textures and flavors.
Turn Your Summer Salad into Chicken Salad
To make a chicken salad variation, skip the lettuce and shred the roasted chicken. Chop or slice the remaining ingredients and toss everything with the dressing. The result is a hearty, flavorful chicken salad perfect for sandwiches, lettuce cups, or meal prep.
How to Make This Sunday Summer Salad
Step One: Make the Creamy Chive Citrus Dressing
In a wide-mouth jar, place the egg and use an immersion blender to slowly emulsify the light olive oil into the egg until thick and creamy. Add lemon juice, chives, shallot, apple cider vinegar, garlic, anchovy, hot sauce, lemon zest, and kosher salt, then blend until smooth. Chill while you prepare the salad so the dressing can firm up slightly.
Step Two: Blanch the green beans
Bring a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt to a rolling boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Add the green beans to the boiling water and parboil for about 3 minutes until bright and tender-crisp. Drain and immediately transfer to the ice bath for 5 minutes to stop cooking. Drain, dry, and set aside.
Step Three: Assemble the salad
In a large bowl, layer the greens and sprinkle lightly with salt. Tear larger leaves into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons of marinated red onion oil and add roughly 1/2 cup of marinated red onions. Add the cubed chicken, blanched green beans, radicchio, cucumbers, radishes, avocado, olives, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, celery, and hearts of palm if using. Toss to combine, adding more marinated red onion oil and a splash of red wine vinegar until the salad is evenly dressed. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and adjust salt to taste. Serve the dressing on the side if preferred.
More Salad Recipes to Try
Summer is the best time to celebrate fresh produce. Use this salad as a template: swap or add seasonal ingredients and try different dressings to keep it feeling new each time. Experiment with grilled corn, fresh berries, or different cheeses to make it your own.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t have chives, a scallion-based dressing, a light vinaigrette, or a green goddess-style dressing pairs nicely. Choose a dressing with bright acidity to balance the richness of the avocado and chicken.
Yes. Prep the components ahead and store them separately. Keep greens and delicate ingredients separate from the dressed items; combine and toss with the dressing just before serving for best texture.
A Sunday Salad is a larger, heartier salad designed as a full meal, often featuring a variety of ingredients and flavors. It’s ideal for a leisurely day of prep and makes great leftovers for the week.
If you make this Sunday Summer Salad, taste and adjust seasonings to your preference and enjoy the freshness of summer produce.
Sunday Summer Salad
- Author: Teri Turner
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Oven
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Sunday Summer Salad is perfect for light, seasonal eating: full of texture, color, and bright flavor.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 10 ounces mixed greens (baby romaine recommended)
- Kosher salt
- Marinated red onions and oil
- 4 cups cubed roasted or rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup cut French green beans
- 1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
- 1 cup sliced radishes
- 1–2 avocados, cubed
- 3/4 cup green olives, halved
- 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 3/4 cup sliced celery
- 3/4 cup hearts of palm, chopped (optional)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Creamy Chive Citrus Dressing:
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup light olive oil
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 anchovy (optional)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a wide-mouth jar, place the egg and use an immersion blender while slowly adding the olive oil to emulsify. Add the remaining dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill while preparing the salad.
- Blanch the green beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Parboil green beans for about 3 minutes until bright and tender-crisp. Transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then drain and dry.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add greens and a pinch of salt. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons marinated red onion oil and add 1/2 cup marinated red onions. Add chicken, green beans, radicchio, cucumbers, radishes, avocado, olives, tomatoes, pepperoncini, celery, and hearts of palm if using. Toss to combine, adding more oil and a splash of red wine vinegar as needed. Season with black pepper and additional salt to taste.
- Serve with the dressing on the side or tossed in—enjoy.
Notes
The salad is delicious with or without the creamy dressing, but a few spoonfuls add brightness and richness.