The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing

This “ultimate” summer salad is filled with a fantastic mix of summertime fruits and vegetables, and is topped with a creamy, low-calorie buttermilk dill dressing.

I love a good steak as much as the next cavewoman, but please tell me I’m not the only one who can’t even fathom eating something that requires cutting (makes me sweat) or extra chewing (oh, the effort) when it’s hot out. In fact, I have several criteria for hot weather food. You may call it high-maintenance. I call it self-preservation.

Rule #1: Preparation of any meal must not result in me having to wrap an ice pack around my neck to ward off the extra heat. Very important. No one likes a sweaty cook.

Rule #2: There must not be any sort of steam rising from the food when it’s served. Steam = hot = crabby Dara. Bring on the cool stuff: chilled soups, sorbet and cocktails. Plenty of cocktails.

Cold food + cocktails = cheerful, non-crabby Dara

Rule #3: All recipients of said food must pretend to be happy with night after night of salads, chilled soups and bowls of watermelon. This attitude, real or fake, will result in pleasant conversation and a cool, calm mum/wife/hostess. My self-preservation leads to your self-preservation.

This salad, which I refer to as “ultimate” because it is packed with all of the summer fruits and veggies that I love most, follows all of the rules. It’s cold, it doesn’t require any sort of steamy prep and my family loves it (or at least they’ve become very good at pretending they do…they’re good rule followers).

I’ve served this salad as-is as a colorful side dish, and as a dinner salad (topped with leftover grilled chicken) for the four of us. The creamy dressing is surprisingly low-calorie, thanks to low fat buttermilk and plain Greek yogurt. Dijon mustard, fresh chopped dill and a touch of agave add in a great punch of flavor.

Now that’s good summertime eating!

Other fantastic vegetarian recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Jicama, Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Cookin’ Canuck’s Grilled Zucchini & Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

The Little Kitchens Grilled Zucchini Caprese Sandwich

A Spicy Perspective’s Cool Watermelon Gazpacho

Live Your Health’s Tomato & White Bean Salad Provençal

The Ultimate Summer Salad Recipe with Dill Buttermilk Dressing

Calories 134.2 / Total Fat 5.4g / Saturated Fat 0.6g / Cholesterol 1.1mg / Sodium 115.3mg / Total Carbohydrates 16.1g / Fiber 4.0g / Sugars 5.2g / Protein 7.5g / WW (Old Points) 2 / WW (Points+) 4

Ingredients

Instructions

The dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, buttermilk, mustard, lemon juice, agave nectar and salt. Gently stir in the dill.

The salad:

Place the romaine lettuce in a serving bowl.

Over the top, sprinkle the corn, tomato, green onion, edamame, avocado, blueberries and sunflower seeds.

Serve with the dressing.

Notes

From the kitchen of Cookin' Canuck | cookincanuck.com

2.5

avocado,

buttermilk,

dressing,

edamame,

gluten-free,

low-calorie,

low-fat,

Meatless Monday,

salad,

vegetarian