Living La Vida Holoka


10 Summer Salads for Your Labor Day BBQ

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Celebrate Labor Day and the end of summer with one of these delicious and crowd pleasing summer salads including pasta salads, quinoa salads, Caprese salads, and more!


Well, that’s a wrap! Summer is unofficially O-V-E-R in a couple of weeks!  Don’t worry – I said, unofficially! You’ve still got time to hit the beach, hang by the pool, or head to the park!  But it’s also time to start planning one last summer bash before it’s back-to-school, back-to-work, and back-to-busy routines. 

If you’re getting ready to throw, or attend, a fabulous Labor Day BBQ to say good-bye to summer, I’m sure you’ve got the hot dogs and burgers covered.  So let’s talk about what to serve with them!  I’m all about a good side salad during a barbecue.  Especially when it’s quick, easy, loaded with delicious and fresh ingredients, and can feed a crowd!  If you’re looking for a new salad to make, or take, to your Labor Day BBQ, there are plenty of ideas with these 10 simple salad recipes.

I’m sharing everything from pasta salads, quinoa salads, green salads, and even a fruit salad or two for something a little sweeter. So many of these salads have been on repeat in our house.  They’re perfect for summer and Labor Day gatherings, but they go way beyond the season as great side dishes or meal prep ideas! 

10 Summer Salads for Your Labor Day BBQ

  1. So Fresh and So Green Quinoa Salad
  2. Chicken Sausage Brown Rice Pasta Salad
  3. Mixed Berry Salad with Grilled Chicken
  4. Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
  5. Caprese Style Quinoa Salad
  6. Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
  7. Grilled Peach Caprese Salad
  8. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
  9. My Famous Italian Pasta Salad
  10. Star Spangled Fruit Salad

If you make one of these salads for your Labor Day BBQ, share pics of your recipe creation on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats.  Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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What salad has been your favorite to make this summer?

Chicken Sausage Brown Rice Pasta Salad

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This gluten-free Chicken Sausage Brown Rice Pasta Salad is made with brown rice pasta and veggies. It’s a healthy salad that’s perfect for weekly meal prep!


Between our anniversary, my birthday, family parties, and everything else in between, it’s been hard to keep my healthy eating habits in check this summer.  I’ve eaten way too much ice cream – that’s for sure – and definitely started to feel it! 

I mean, I’ve made a ridiculously delicious S’mores Ice Cream Sandwich Cake a few weeks ago and had two back-to-back Mr. Softee dipped ice cream cones at my nieces’ joint birthday party (it was so worth it, at the time).  Not to mention that ice cream has been on sale nearly every week at the grocery store.  I’ve had more than enough of my fill!

So I’m restarting the Fast Metabolism Diet as a reset for my body.  But I’m doing my own version of it.  I’m still following the schedule of Monday and Tuesday being fruit and healthy carb days, Wednesday and Thursday being protein days, and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday being focused on healthy fats.  I’m just not being as strict about it. 


Since pasta salads are always a summer staple for us, I decided to make a healthier version based off a FMD pasta recipe for Chicken Sausage Fusilli.  Just like the FMD recipe, this pasta salad uses brown rice fusilli.  It’s a little stickier than traditional pasta, but it’s gluten-free and just as filling and satisfying! 

The trick in making brown rice pasta is not to overcook it or it’ll become mushy.  Draining the pasta and rinsing it with cold water stops the cooking process and gives you that perfect pasta texture!

The “bulk” of this Chicken Sausage Brown Rice Pasta Salad

 
I included the chicken sausage in my pasta salad to bulk it up and add a good dose of lean protein.  Then, I tossed in a bunch of veggies like fresh broccoli florets, roasted red peppers, zucchini, and onions.  I dressed my salad with lemon juice and Italian dressing seasoning.  Before serving, I added a little chopped parsley for some added freshness.  

Oil isn’t restricted on the FMD, but it’s mostly reserved for “healthy fats” days. So I skipped adding it to my lemon dressing. I didn’t want to saturate my pasta.  I just wanted to give it some flavoring.  You can definitely tweak the dressing, or use your favorite pasta salad dressing, if you feel it needs more.

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Chicken Sausage Brown Rice Pasta Salad

Chicken Sausage Brown Rice Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. brown rice fusilli pasta
  • 3 sweet Italian chicken sausage links, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 generous cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
  • 1/3 cup roasted red pepper strips, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup zucchini, seeded and cubed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, or Italian dressing seasoning

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare the brown rice fusilli according to the package. Don't overcook the pasta and rinse with cold water as soon as it's done to stop the cooking process.
  2. Add the pasta to a large bowl or container.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of water and the chicken sausage to the pan. Cook until completely and browned on the outside, about 6-8 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken sausage to the pasta bowl. Then, add in the vegetables.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and Italian seasonings.
  6. Pour over the pasta salad, mix to combine, and serve.
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When I first put this pasta salad together, I think I expected it to be a bit bland and boring. But it’s so fresh, so satisfying, and has a nice flavor to it, thanks to the chicken sausage and simple lemon dressing.  Eat it cold or leave the lemon dressing out and reheat this as a warm pasta dish.

Whether or not you’re on a special diet, you can’t deny a good pasta salad during the summer!  They’re perfect for meal prepping and taste better by the day! 

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If you like this pasta salad recipe, you might enjoy these as well:

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

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This Kale Caesar Pasta Salad is a perfect dish to meal prep and enjoy all week.  It’s a creamy, comforting twist on classic Caesar salad!


I decided to give my Instagram profile a makeover this past weekend. I gave my highlight icons a new color scheme, updated my profile info, and went through my saved stories.  While I was doing that, I came across a kale Caesar pasta salad recipe that I had made.  I never shared the step-by-step on Instagram or shared it on my blog.  That little weekend Instagram makeover was so worth it, even just for the reminder that this pasta salad existed!  I knew I had to work it into my Monday meal prep.

Monday meal prep has become an ongoing routine for me.  It gives me a chance to clean out the fridge and use some of the ingredients that I have on hand to create new meals for the week.  When I planned my meals for this week, I worked this recipe onto our menu.  We’re big fans of pasta salads!  They’re one of those dishes that seems to get better the longer it sits.  I knew that eating this salad all week definitely wouldn’t be a problem!


Pasta salads might seem like a summertime barbecue type thing, but trust me – you can work them into your menu all year long. 

I mean, it’s pasta!

Take this pasta salad, for instance.  It’s delicious on its own, but so good when you add grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp to it.  It can go from a side to a main meal just like that!

Massage the kale (yes, you read that right) for an even better salad!

 
If you’re not a big fan of kale, you can swap in some baby spinach instead.  If you don’t mind the taste and texture of kale, I definitely recommend it in this salad.  Kale holds up pretty well with all of that dressing.  Even after being massaged!  I know.  Weird.  It’s hard enough to get a massage for myself around here, but the kale manages to get one!

Massaging the kale leaves gives it a softer texture and also makes it taste less bitter.  You don’t have to put on soft music, light candles, or massage the kale for a 90 minute session.  Just add a little lemon juice and olive oil.  Then, work it into the kale leaves just until they soften.

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Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 1/2 box bow tie pasta
  • 10 oz. jar roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small bunch fresh kale, cleaned with stems removed
  • 1 - 15 oz. bottle light Caesar salad dressing
  • 1/2 cup or more shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta as directed. Once al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. Allow to cool completely and then pour pasta into a large bowl.
  2. Mix in the roasted red peppers, red onion, and grape tomatoes.
  3. Massage the kale with lemon juice and olive oil, then add to the salad.
  4. Pour the Caesar salad dressing onto the salad and stir well.
  5. Last, mix in the shredded Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

I started with 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, but found that I wanted more so I ended up using about 3/4 cup. The amount of cheese is up to you, but start with 1/2 cup and work from there!

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So easy to make and you’ll have pasta salad for days!  I love Caesar salad and the addition of pasta just takes it to a satisfying and comforting new level!

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If you liked this pasta salad recipe, you might enjoy these as well:


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