Our Community's Best Five Summer Salads

Here are our community's best summer salads!

In our latest contest, we asked you to wow us with your best summer salad. With farmers markets bursting at the seams, there was plenty of inspiration just waiting to adorn a salad bowl. The entries were bright and thoughtful, keeping that summer produce at the heart of each recipe. It was a pleasure for your Community Moderators to make our way through our top ten to bring you the top five for your next dinner.

1. Late Summer Tomato Corn Verrines by QueenSashy

Verrines were a new concept to all of us—but one that we will revisit again. This dish pays careful respect to the sweetest summer corn by using the perfect accompanying flavors. Add on some herbed crème fraîche and candied bacon, and you can't go wrong. But serve it layered parfait-style in a pretty jar? Unbeatable.

2. Green Mango, Jicama, Fennel, and Watercress Salad with Pickled Red Onions and Lime Herb Vinaigrette by QueenSashy

This salad will be worth your while to source a green mango. You will love the playful textures and popping flavors—and so will your rich and spicy grilled meats. This salad is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

3. Tomato Confit and Kimchi Panzanella by Arisa Slutsky

We love all forms of panzanella during the summer, but we really couldn't resist this one with intensely sweet cherry tomato confit and umami-filled kimchi. This recipe really showcases the versatility of tomatoes by featuring them in their sweet, deeply cooked form and their bright, raw form. The kimchi brings the whole dish together—the juice infuses the vinaigrette and the crunchy cabbage dotting the panzanella.

4. Peruvian Corn and Tomato Salad by Juan Carlos Ponce

This salad is so flavorful and well rounded—sweet from the tomatoes and corn, herby from the cilantro, salty and a bit creamy from the cheese, a bit of bitter from the greens, and crunchy from the radish. The cumin and ají are subtle and just enough to give the limey vinaigrette a fresh twist. We loved this version of a summer staple and we think you will too.

5. Pickled Corn Salad by Boulangere

"So simple and so delicious" was the universal superlative from the Community Moderators. The heat from the peppers (we used Japones) in the pickling liquid and the poblano in the salad itself were wonderful. The sweet pickled corn, peppers, onion, and spiced dressing are a perfect marriage.

Give one or all of these recipes a try in your kitchen and let us know your thoughts!

Voting for the final two recipes will open October 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. EDT here. May the best salad win!