Summer is the season when the humble salad comes to the fore. As the weather (hopefully) heats up, our desire for lighter dishes packed with fresh, seasonal ingredients means the salad becomes a true star of mealtimes - and so much more than a feeble garnish of a few lettuce leaves. We've picked five healthy salad recipes that are easy to make, and all use seasonal or British ingredients. Make them for a picnic, to accompany a BBQ, for a light supper or a delicious packed lunch - but we guarantee some serious lunchbox envy if you take them into work...

1. Yvonne Bishop-Weston’s Power Salad

Serves: 1-2 depending on appetite!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

50g natural organic yogurt or soya yogurt

4g (1 teaspoon) fresh dill - finely chopped

10g (1 teaspoon) horseradish

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the salad:

2 Omega-3 eggs hard boiled or poached

80g cooked beetroot - chopped

60g yellow pepper - chopped

40g (2 tablespoons) sprouted beans and lentils (supermarket mix)

2 handfuls (40g) of mixed leaves - washed and drained

6 walnut halves

Rock salt to taste

Serve with:

1 slice of rye toast topped with half a small avocado black pepper and lemon juice or with houmous or tahini

Method:

Step 1: Mix the dressing ingredients together.

Step 2: Boil the eggs (we like the yolks to be a little soft and ever so slightly runny but you should cook them to your taste).

Step 3: Place the leaves on a plate. Mix the beetroot, peppers and sprouted beans and place on the leaves. Cut the egg into halves and place on the beetroot mix with the walnuts. Top with the dressing and serve immediately.

Step 4: Toast the rye bread and add the topping of your choice

Recipe from lovebeetroot.co.uk

2. Xanthe Clay’s Radish and Pea salad

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 teacupful of fresh peas

10 radishes, thinly sliced

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp crème fraiche

milk

A punnet of cress

black pepper

Method:

Step 1: Lightly cook the peas in boiling water, then drain and cool under the tap.

Step 2: Scatter them over a plate with the thinly sliced radishes and spring onion.

Step 3: Thin the crème fraiche to single cream consistency with a little milk and trickle it over the salad.

Step 4: Snip over the cress and season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

From loveradish.co.uk

3. Chickpea, roast shallot & feta salad

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

12 Shallots, peeled & cut in half

2 cloves garlic, whole & unpeeled

25g butter, cut into small dice

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

200g feta cheese, crumbled

100g soft round lettuce

For the dressing:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

I small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method:

Step 1: Place the shallots in a roasting tin, cut side up and dot with the butter and a grind of salt and pepper. Add the unpeeled whole garlic cloves to the tin and roast in the oven at 200°C/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes until the onions are soft and golden.

Step 2: When the onions are cooked remove them to a plate whilst you make the dressing in the roasting tin. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and mash it up with a fork. Add the oil, vinegar and honey and using a small whisk combine with the mashed roast garlic, scraping the bottom of the tin to get off all the caramelized shallot juices. Add the chopped parsley and taste, adding more seasoning if necessary.

Step 3: Add the chickpeas to the tin and toss to coat in the dressing.

Step 4: In a serving dish arrange the lettuce with the roast shallots and pour over the chickpeas and dressing. Top with the crumbled feta and serve immediately.

From ukshallot.com

4. Tenderstem, Horseradish, Pink Lady Apple and Toasted Hazelnut Salad

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 1 minute

Ingredients:

50g natural yoghurt (Yeo Valley is best)

25g creamed horseradish sauce

1 tbsp Rapeseed oil

20g toasted hazelnuts

1 Pink Lady apple

16 stems Tenderstem broccoli

1 tsp Rapeseed oil

A pinch of sea salt

100g Watercress

Method

Step 1: Place the yoghurt, horseradish sauce and 1 tbls of rapeseed oil in a bowl and whisk to combine. Crush the hazelnuts into chunks and set aside. Core the Pink Lady apple and slice thinly.

Step 2: Heat 1 tsp of rapeseed oil in a medium sauce pan until very hot and then add the Tenderstem. Immediately cover with a lid and shake it well to turn over the florets.

Step 3: Cook on full heat for 30 seconds and then shake again.

Step 4: Cook for a further 30 seconds and remove from the heat. The Tenderstem should have crisp, golden brown bits and be vibrant green. The texture should be al dente. If it is still not gone golden return to the heat in 15 seconds bursts until it is ready.

Step 5: Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and toss one more time.

Step 6: Place a pile of watercress on each plate, lay the Tenderstem over the top and sprinkle the apple and hazelnuts over the top. Dress generously with the horseradish, yoghurt sauce and serve whilst still hot.

From tenderstem.co.uk

5. Summer garden salad of traditional beetroot, radish, celery, leaves, spring onions, with smoked trout fillets

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: none

Ingredients:

For the horseradish cream dressing:

3 tbsp creme fraiche

3 tbsp greek yogurt

1-2 tbsp horseradish sauce, to taste

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Small bunch chives, snipped

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

3 generous handfuls of mixed salad leaves

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 packs traditional cooked beetroot, sliced

A bunch of radishes, sliced finely

½ head of celery, sliced finely

A small bunch spring onions, finely chopped

4 smoked trout fillets

Method:

Step 1: Make the horseradish cream dressing by mixing everything in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Step 2: Toss the salad leaves in a little extra virgin olive oil and divide between four dishes. Scatter over the beetroot, radishes, celery and spring onions. Finally, top each with a trout fillet and a generous dollop of dressing. Serve immediately.

From lovebeetroot.co.uk