3 Killer Salads That Will Survive a Picnic

Summer is the time for salad, but if you’re like me at all, you have trouble finding tasty, unique salads that last. You know, something that doesn’t look anything like your Grandma’s iceberg lettuce, carrots and field tomatoes with Kraft ranch dressing. No, we want something robust, that will satisfy and withstand the cruel picnic cooler environment. Something the kids will gobble up, and that tastes even better the next day. We don’t want a ton of chopping, right? I mean, it’s a picnic. It’s supposed to be relaxing, not stressful. To serve that purpose, I’ve put together a list of three salads, full of nutrition, that you can tuck away in your cooler and still want to eat hours later.

Super Simple Bean Salad - this salad is going to take you literal minutes to throw together and it lasts days in a tupperware container. All you need is:

1 can corn niblets
1 can red kidney beans
1 can chickpeas
1 can white kidney beans or pinto beans
A few sprigs of parsley
Two garlic cloves
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

First, mince your garlic into a fine paste and chop your parsley. Toss them in the salad bowl, along with your oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Empty all your cans of beans and corn, rinse them well, and then throw them in the bowl as well. Toss, taste and adjust. I usually add a lot more vinegar because I am a veritable vinegar fiend. I also add a ton more garlic than it calls for, but be forewarned, it gets stronger with time and it’s raw. If you plan for your salad to last a few days, maybe go easy on the raw garlic.

Easy Potato & Bean Salad - A satisfying salad with just a handful of steps that make it taste great. You’ll need:

3 pounds of yukon potatoes
1 pound of green beans
1 shallot
½ cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
A few sprigs of flat leaf parsley

Boil your potatoes until a fork can pierce them with ease. Blanche the beans by throwing them into salted, boiling water for a minute or until their green colour brightens, then immediately remove them from the hot water and place them in a bath of cold water to stop the cooking and lock in the amazing green. Mince your shallot and toss with the oil, dijon, vinegar, and parsley. Chop your potatoes into bite sized chunks, and combine with beans. Pour dressing over the potatoes and beans and toss. This salad is delicious served warm or cool.

Homemade/Store-Bought Coleslaw. Everyone knows coleslaw is one of the best snacks to bring along on a picnic, but it’s such a messy pain in the neck to shred all that cabbage. My secret? Buy the pre-shredded bags of cabbage and carrots at your local supermarket. No one needs to know you skipped that one, messy step. So, aside from your bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, you’ll need:

¼ cup of shelled sunflower seeds
¾ cup of mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip. The real stuff, like Hellman’s)
2 tablespoons of sour cream
1 minced shallot
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
2 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons of celery salt
A dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

Mince your shallot and combine with the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, celery salt, mustard, and cayenne. Taste and add more vinegar if you prefer the tart flavour, or more sugar if you prefer it sweet. Toss with the shredded cabbage and carrot mixture you bought, and the sunflower seeds. That’s it! You’re done!

All three of these salads taste great, even when eaten as leftovers the next day. They’re so easy to travel with and so simple to make, that they make an appearance at every picnic I have. Give them a shot and tell us how you liked them in the comments!