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You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Cooking / Friday Recipe Exchange: Cold Salads

Friday Recipe Exchange: Cold Salads

by Anne Laurie|  June 14, 20138:05 pm| 37 Comments

This post is in: Cooking, Recipes

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tamara pasta salad

From our Food Goddess, TaMara:

Cookout season is in full swing. And with it, cold salads, a personal favorite. There are so many varieties out there, from coleslaw, to macaroni, to cold bean salads I thought it would be a good place to start the summer cookout season.

The featured recipe tonight is from a neighborhood cookout we had last week. I was very busy, so I had to throw together something quick. I went with a basic macaroni salad, but with a few tricks to keep it fresh and flavorful, instead of soggy and bland as some can be.

Before that, here are a few other cold salads:

JeffreyW has a traditional coleslaw recipe (and slideshow) here.

I’ve made a Caribbean Orange-Mango Coleslaw for several summer cookouts. Recipe here.

I adapted a Giada De Laurentiis recipe for Italian Lentil Salad here.

And here are several pasta salads: Chipolte Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon (here), Greek Pasta Salad (here), and my favorite quick dinner, Pasta Caprese (here).
tamara pasta caprese

That’s just a start. I’ll probably follow-up in a while with some veggie cold salads. But until then, what’s on your summer plate this weekend? What are some of your favorite cold salads? What’s your go-to dish when you’re invited to a cookout? Hit the comments and share your ideas.

And finally, the featured recipe (pictured at the top).

Quick and Easy Macaroni Salad

Dressing:

1/2 cup creamy Italian dressing (I like Newman’s Own)
1 cup mayonnaise
pepper

Blend together well and refrigerate until ready to mix in.

Salad:

16 oz box favorite pasta
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp crushed dried basil
Salt and pepper
8 oz shredded carrots
1 celery stalk, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz cubed mild cheese (I used a marbled colby/jack)

Bring water to a boil, add 1 tsp salt and pasta. Cook until al dente (firm to tooth). Immediately drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Do not drain well, allow macaroni to stay wet, remove to bowl. Immediately add garlic, spices, celery seed, and let sit for 5 minutes. As the pasta absorbs the remaining water, it absorbs all the flavors. Next stir in carrots, celery, cheese and tomatoes. Save tossing with the dressing until 5-10 minutes before serving. This keeps the pasta from absorbing all of it and becoming mushy and flavorless, but still gives it enough time to meld the flavors together.

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Reader Interactions

37Comments

  1. 1.

    WereBear

    June 14, 2013 at 8:20 pm

    Waldorf salad.

    If they are John Cleese/Fawlty Towers fans, so much the better!

  2. 2.

    John Cole

    June 14, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    I am totally making the pasta caprese tomorrow. I make a cold orzo salad that is really popular.

    Can of artichokes
    kalamata olives (pit in- you can take the pits out yourself in 2 mins and the pit in olives always are better)
    two packages button mushrooms
    one avocado
    1 pack cherry tomatoes
    green onions
    cilantro
    fresh garlic
    oil/vinegar/salt/pepper

    Boil the orzo, clean the mushrooms, and when the orzo is about done, through the mushrooms in the boiling water with the pasta for a few minutes. Strain and use cold water to chill it fast. Dice up all the veg, cut the mushrooms and tomatoes in half, add the fresh garlic, cilantro, oil/vinegar/salt/pepper, and chill for a couple hours.

    Sometimes when I serve it I put out some crumbled feta so people can make their own decisions if they want it in there.

  3. 3.

    John Cole

    June 14, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    Oh, and the other thing is that this is such a “clean” salad without any overburdening flavors that you can serve it with almost anything.

  4. 4.

    TaMara (BHF)

    June 14, 2013 at 8:26 pm

    Caprese Salad link seems to be broken.

    It’s here.

  5. 5.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    June 14, 2013 at 8:33 pm

    Macaroni salad is fucking disgusting.

  6. 6.

    becca

    June 14, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    Penne tossed in goat cheese and/or feta while hot. Some pesto, fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, kalamata olives and a healthy dose of decent olive oil.

    Good warm or cold.

  7. 7.

    raven

    June 14, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Mostacolli
    Can of Garbanzo’s
    Cuke
    Fresh Basil
    Lots o olive oil
    Fresh seared Ahi
    Fresh Ground Pepper
    Balsamic
    Cook
    Mix
    Chill
    Mangia

  8. 8.

    cathyx

    June 14, 2013 at 8:38 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead: How can you say this when there are literally thousands of macaroni salad recipes? Have you tried them all?

  9. 9.

    debit

    June 14, 2013 at 8:41 pm

    My go to salad is a grilled asparagus topped with baby greens and strawberries with mint vinaigrette.

    Vinaigrette:

    1/4 cup white wine vinegar
    juice of 1 lemon
    2 T chopped fresh mint
    1 t chopped fresh oregano
    pinch of sea salt
    pinch of fresh cracked black pepper
    1/2 t Dijon mustard
    1/2 t sugar
    1/2 cup grapeseed oil (you can use light olive oil if you don’t have grapeseed, but I like the nutty taste)

    whisk together everything but the oil, then slowly drizzle it in, whisking constantly.

    Asparagus:

    Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch one bunch of asparagus (woody ends snapped off) for 30 seconds, then immerse in ice water to stop cooking. Drain, then toss in a large bowl with 2 T olive oil, 2 minced cloves of garlic and a generous pinch each of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Grill for about two minutes (turn after one minute) or roast for 7-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

    Salad:

    About 6 ounces of organic baby salad greens
    1 pint strawberries, stemmed and sliced
    1/4 cup of queso fresco (a moist, mild, crumbly cheese)

    Toss greens, strawberries and crumbled cheese with about 8 T of vinaigrette. Arrange asparagus on platter, top with salad, drizzle with more vinaigrette if desired. Serves 4 to 6, unless my daughter is there. Then it serves 2, but only if you’re faster than she is.

  10. 10.

    jo6pac

    June 14, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    Thanks you all before this and after

  11. 11.

    MikeJ

    June 14, 2013 at 8:50 pm

    With this being Friday during salmon season, I’m gonna slap a fish on an alder plank. Cold salad along with it is corn freshly off the cob, some blueberries, a citrus vinaigrette, finely chopped jalapeños, and then a little of this and that.

  12. 12.

    cathyx

    June 14, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    I’ve got a great and simple recipe for a cold salad. Make a balsamic vinegar dressing, add red onions, sliced in circles, add chopped tomatoes. Let sit and soak up the dressing, then add cooked broccoli. Stir and serve. Yum!

  13. 13.

    WereBear

    June 14, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    @WereBear: I belatedly realize that people expect a recipe. Dang, don’t you people understand The Google?

    Waldorf Salad

    INGREDIENTS
    1 cup chopped walnuts
    1 cup celery, thinly sliced
    1 cup red seedless grapes
    1/2 cup dried cherries plumped in water (or fresh, if you are a masochist who likes pitting fresh cherries)
    2 medium apples, cored and chopped (I like a Granny Smith for crispness, but Honeycrisp or Cripps Pink are also favorites)
    6 Tbsp mayonnaise
    2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    1/2 Tsp allspice
    Salt
    Pepper
    Lettuce

    Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and spices. Add salt & pepper to taste. Mix in the apple, celery, grapes, cherries, and walnuts. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.

    And our friends all chant, “Apples, celery, walnuts, grapes” as it is dished out, with someone chiming in with, “In a mayonnaise sauce!”

    Because we are all pathetic geeks.

  14. 14.

    debit

    June 14, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    @WereBear: Yum!!

    I also make a chicken and rosemary salad.

    A couple cooked chicken breasts (poached or baked) roughly cubed
    a few stalks of celery thinly sliced
    1 tart apple, chopped
    a couple sprigs of rosemary, minced
    mayonnaise and/or plain yogurt (I eyeball it, no measurements, sorry)

    Mix the rosemary with the mayo/yogurt, then toss in the rest of the ingredients. Serve on a bed of lettuce, or on bread as a sandwich, or embrace your inner glutton and just eat right out of the bowl. I won’t judge.

  15. 15.

    WereBear

    June 14, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    @debit: Ya had me at rosemary.

    An herb favorite. Good for the brain! Add a pinch of rosemary to the morning cuppa, and feel that oxygen surge!

  16. 16.

    jeffreyw

    June 14, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    Broccoli Salad

    5 cups of chopped fresh broccoli

    1 lb crispy bacon

    1 cup golden raisins

    1 cup mayo

    1/2 cup sugar (Splenda)

    2 Tbs white wine vinegar

    1 chopped red onion

    1 cup sunflower seeds

    Chop the veggies and dump all but the mayo, sugar, and vinegar into a big bowl, whisk the mayo, sugar and vinegar together and pour it over the rest and mix well. Refrigerate.

  17. 17.

    MikeJ

    June 14, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    @debit:

    Serve on a bed of lettuce, or on bread as a sandwich

    I do it as a wrap using what is basically a whole wheat tortilla.

  18. 18.

    debit

    June 14, 2013 at 9:13 pm

    @MikeJ: Also yum! I suppose you could also do a lettuce wrap too, but really, once you add mayo to the equation, you may as well give up any attempt at responsible calorie counting.

  19. 19.

    WereBear

    June 14, 2013 at 9:15 pm

    @jeffreyw: Yum. Another favorite. This was kinda handed down to me as recipe from an old “Aunt Bea” recipe book; based on the Andy Griffith show, no doubt.

  20. 20.

    rikyrah

    June 14, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    I just made a veggie pasta salad for dinner tonight. it’s warm in the beginning, but what I love about it is that it will taste good cold over the next couple of days

  21. 21.

    Beatrice

    June 14, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    Something that is quick and easy is a rice salad. Cook the rice as usual and while it is still warm, stir in some of your favorite vinaigrette dressing. Chill for awhile, and then add whatever you darn well please. I like marinated artichoke hearts, sugar snap peas, green onions, and halved cherry tomatoes, but really, it could be anything. This travels well so it’s a great cookout contribution. Or add a can of tuna if you want to make it a meal.

  22. 22.

    Aji

    June 14, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    Lately it’s been potato salad. As I’ve said, I’m a “pinch of this/dash of that” kind of cook, so I just estimate depending on whether it’s just for the two of us, or we need leftovers. But it involves boiled potatoes (like Yukon gold), hard-boiled eggs courtesy of our chickens; minced onion; mayo; sea salt; pepper; dry mustard; and dried (or fresh) parsley. That’s basically it; you can adjust amounts to personal taste. Easy, and doesn’t usually last long around here.

  23. 23.

    Anne Laurie

    June 14, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    @cathyx: Some people just don’t like the texture of cold pasta.

    Everyone has food prejudices. Me, I don’t like the taste of fish. I eat canned tuna, real scallops, and New England clam chowder — none of which taste ‘fishy’. I don’t even like Japanese seaweed soup, because it does taste fishy. A great many people (starting with my dad, who adored seafood in just about any form) have tried to convince me that I “just haven’t tried the right seafood” or “tried it cooked the right way.” I have tasted, under duress, everything from fresh trout to premium lox to fried sea bass to lobster newburgh to elvers (baby eels) Hong Kong style, and after more than fifty years of experimenting I feel free to make the blanket statement that I just do not like the taste of fish. This being true, I try not to argue too much with other peoples’ food prejudices — even against foods, like mushrooms, that are inarguably delicious. More for me!

  24. 24.

    schrodinger's cat

    June 14, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    Turkish potato salad

    1 pound red potatoes
    1/2 cup red onion sliced
    1/2 cup cilantro or flat leaf parsley
    Juice of 1 lemon or lime
    1tbsp olive oil
    Kosher salt

    Boil the red potatoes
    Cut in halves, fourths or leave them whole, depending on the size of the potatoes
    In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice
    season the sliced onions with kosher salt
    Add to the dressing, then add potatoes, mix thoroughly. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

    I like to serve this with my tandoori chicken.

  25. 25.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    June 14, 2013 at 9:37 pm

    Tangy Apple and Beet Salad Recipe

    INGREDIENTS
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    1 tablespoon minced shallot
    1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    1 peeled, small-dice apple
    1 small-dice roasted beet
    3 cups coarsely chopped Treviso radicchio
    1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 ounce)
    Kosher salt
    Freshly ground black pepper

    INSTRUCTIONS
    1. Place the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a large, nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine. Add the diced apple and beet and toss until well coated in the vinaigrette.

    2. Add the radicchio and blue cheese and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly combine, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.

  26. 26.

    schrodinger's cat

    June 14, 2013 at 9:37 pm

    @Anne Laurie: What about shell fish? Crabs, lobsters etc?

  27. 27.

    TaMara (BHF)

    June 14, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead: Honey, this is why I give you a variety to choose from. In a few weeks we’ll revisit with some other salads. Do you have a favorite. [[pats his head, gives him a lollypop]]

    p.s. the pasta caprese can be served hot. Like me.

  28. 28.

    debit

    June 14, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat: I am making that this weekend. Lime juice and cilantro, yum!

  29. 29.

    TaMara (BHF)

    June 14, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat: Yum. Will have to try.

    Matter of fact, thread is full of recipe win. YAY.

  30. 30.

    schrodinger's cat

    June 14, 2013 at 10:04 pm

    @TaMara (BHF): Thanks! My Turkish housemate used to make this. He used parsley, the cilantro is my touch. I like it better than mayonnaise smothered potato salad.

  31. 31.

    schrodinger's cat

    June 14, 2013 at 10:15 pm

    @debit: Thanks and don’t forget the red onions.

  32. 32.

    Anne Laurie

    June 14, 2013 at 10:23 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    What about shell fish? Crabs, lobsters etc?

    DO NOT WANT. And you don’t know how often people ask me, “If you don’t like lobstahs, why did you move to Bahstn?”

    My fallback, at the inevitable seafood restaurant with visitors/coworkers, is the scollops. I can always tell when a restaurant has (dishonestly) cheaped out and substituted skate cookies, but apparently skate’s gotten expensive enough that I haven’t run into that for some years now.

  33. 33.

    bnut

    June 14, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    My step-grandmother introduced me to West Indies Salad and it’s still the easiest and tastiest thing to eat during the summer.

    1 lb crab meat
    1 medium onion, diced small
    5 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
    4 tbsp oil
    2 tbsp lemon juice
    1 green onion, chopped small
    salt and pepper
    4 oz ice water

    Mix all ingredients, marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge (though it’s much better overnight), then serve on bib lettuce or crackers.

  34. 34.

    vickijean

    June 15, 2013 at 10:56 am

    Broccoli slaw with cranberries, honey roasted almonds, golden raisins and either poppyseed dressing or Visalia onion dressing

  35. 35.

    vickijean

    June 15, 2013 at 10:56 am

    Broccoli slaw with cranberries, honey roasted almonds, golden raisins and either poppyseed dressing or Visalia onion dressing

  36. 36.

    lou

    June 15, 2013 at 11:07 am

    My variation on Jamaican potato salad:
    baby Yukon potatoes (boiled)
    green onions
    boiled egg
    diced carrots
    corn
    peas
    a dressing made of mayo, dijon mustard, horseradish, minced garlic and a dash of hot sauce.

  37. 37.

    debit

    June 15, 2013 at 1:46 pm

    @vickijean: Could you repeat that? I didn’t get it the first time.

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