A Cut Above: Summer Vegetable Sides
Every month, discover new ideas to enjoy the simple but elegant pleasures of a delicious, easy-to-prepare meal.
Article By: Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Busy or not, here we come. Every month “A Cut Above” serves up new recipes, cooking tips and ideas for dishes that are elegant in taste and presentation, yet simple enough to prepare and enjoy in a snap.
Gazpacho's one of our favorite dishes. Here we've turned the fresh, cold soup into a salad, chopped, dressed and ready to go. It's light and refreshing, and with a piece of crusty bread, it complements any entrée; you can even make a light lunch of it on the deck.
How about a great potato salad? We've jazzed ours up with a dressing based on pesto, that basil-laden Italian favorite. We like using red-skinned potatoes, but any small spuds will do. Try yellow, or even purple for a colorful summer treat.
And nothing complements pork and beef like a savory melon salad spiked with mint, threaded with juicy cucumbers. It'll stand up to that filet you're about to toss onto the grill.
So put delicious sides on the menu and celebrate what's fresh now that summer's nearly here. That's reason enough for a party.
About the Gazpacho Salad
Take away the broth, and this cold summer soup becomes a fresh chopped salad. If you make it in advance, wait to add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice and salt until just before serving so that the vegetables won't weep too much.
Gazpacho Salad
Makes 6 servings
PointsPlus™ value | 2 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (4 cups)
- 1 medium English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and chopped (2 cups)
- 2 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 small red onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Several dashes hot red pepper sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Toss well, and serve.
Serving size 1 1/3 cups.
About the Potato Salad Primavera
Why settle for the same-old potato salad, summer in and summer out? This vegetable-rich version with a pesto-inspired dressing is almost a main course in itself.
Potato Salad Primavera
Makes 6 servings
PointsPlus™ value | 4 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds red-skinned potatoes, quartered (4 cups)
- 8 oz asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
- 1 large red onion, chopped (1 cup)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (1 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, quartered
Instructions
- Bring a large vegetable steamer filled with about 2 inches of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, cover and steam until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Add asparagus to the steamer. Cover and steam until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add to the potatoes; stir in the onion, bell pepper and celery while the other vegetables are still warm.
- Place the basil, Parmesan, walnuts, vinegar, mayonnaise, water, salt, pepper and garlic in the canister of a food processor or a mini food processor, and process until fairly smooth (a little grainy is fine, too), scraping down the canister once or twice.
- Pour the dressing over the still-warm vegetables. Toss well and serve.
Serving size: 1 1/3 cups.
About the Melon and Cucumber Salad
This easy barbecue side is a refreshing change from standard coleslaw. Remember the rule for fruit when selecting a honeydew: If it doesn't smell like anything, chances are it won't taste like anything.
Melon and Cucumber Salad
Makes 6 servings
PointsPlus™ value | 3 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 large honeydew melon, seeded and chopped (4 cups)
- 1 medium English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and chopped (2 cups)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
- 2 Tbsp fat-free yogurt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp chopped mint leaves
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Toss all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Serving size: 1 cup.