Hello Memorial Day Weekend and the kick-off of BBQ season! Whenever I’m asked to bring a dish to a BBQ or summer party, I try to bring a healthy-ish crowd-pleaser that also looks good on a family-style table. This salad is one of my go-tos and takes less than 10 minutes to whip together if you use store-bought pesto.

It’s bright, fresh, colorful, flavorful, and tastes like summer in a bowl. I can’t wait until we have fresh garden veggies to add to it soon.

The Best Summer Salad Recipe

Makes about 6 side servings

Ingredients:
– 3 cups, cherry/grape tomatoes, halved (I like a mix of yellow and red to make it prettier)
– 2 avocados, cut into cubes
– 1 cucumber (or 3 Persian cucumbers), sliced
– 1/2 cup red onion, diced
– Handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
– 1/4 cup, basil pesto
– 1 Tbs, lemon juice
– Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, avocados, cucumber, onion, and basil leaves.

2. In a small bowl, mix the pesto, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour dressing over the salad and mix together.

4. Enjoy!

Photo by Julia Dags.