Salad Seasons is a cookbook featuring vegetable-forward dishes. Salads are not my favorite, and I tend to avoid them unless I can’t say no to a dinner invitation to a steak house. Sometimes, the only vegetarian option is on the menu. But I’ve been trying to get outside of my usual zone and find ways to continue loving vegetables. So, I grabbed a copy and did a review on Salad Seasons. And I will tell you that the recipes are not all leafy green salads.
Grab a copy here and support independent bookstores. (Or from Amazon here)
**Remember, the links in this post are often affiliate links. If you purchase anything from those links, it sends us a few pennies to keep this site going but adds zero cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Cozy Chill.
Background of the Book & Author
Salad Seasons is a collection of salad recipes broken down by season. The author is Sheela Prakash, who has an impressive resume and has been a longtime editor at Kitchn. She brilliantly points out in the introduction that salads don’t have just to be a summer staple. You just need to know how to build one with seasonal produce. Within each seasonal section, you’ll find recipes listed as sides, stars, or sweets. Things don’t get too personal, but Prakash does put a note on each recipe.
What Grabbed My Attention
If someone can make better salads, I will give them a chance. I loved the idea of seasonal produce being featured, and seeing the term “hearty salads” piqued my interest. I paged through the book, and plenty of “salads” looked like things I would typically make, so I like redefining how we think of salads. I picked three summer recipes so I could use in-season produce.
Overall Salad Seasons Cookbook Rating
Ease of recipes – 8
Knowledge of methods & ingredients – 8
Fits the theme – 10
Taste overall of test recipes – 8
Quantity of recipes that generated excitement – 6
Overall rating – 8/10
Grab a copy here and support independent bookstores. (Or from Amazon here)
Feedback from a lazy cook who hates a dish pile up and making dinner decisions:
This book didn’t require any crazy prep work for the recipes. There was no giant mess after cooking, and the recipes made easy leftovers, so I didn’t have to think about lunch the next day.
Feedback from an aspiring cook who wants to impress herself and learn how to do more:
I love the author’s notes on the recipes. She shares her notes on where to shop for the ingredients and how to store things in your kitchen. It was a lesson in vegetables that I didn’t even know I needed.
Recipes I Cooked from the Salad Seasons Cookbook:
Dish 1 – Balsamic Steak with Caramelized Peppers and Gorgonzola
This dish takes a while because you have to marinate the steak (or vegan steak, in my case). I usually roast peppers, so caramelizing them was something different. They tasted fantastic. We liked this salad and ate it for dinner and lunch the next day. I didn’t love the steak replacement we used this time, but the marinade was great, so it was just a texture thing. And Gorgonzola can do no wrong, in my opinion.
Changes made – I swapped the steak for a meatless faux steak option.
Suggestions for next time – I would add spinach next time and not just use arugula because the leaves are annoying to eat.
Dish 2 – Stuffed Pepper Rice Salad
This was the definition of a hearty salad. It was delicious. We love stuffed peppers in this household, but I don’t love the process of making them. This took all of that out of it and allowed us to eat the same flavors without the messy scooping and stuffing process. This made great leftovers, too, and we’ve already made this recipe again.
Changes made – I used white rice instead of brown because I accidentally bought a five-pound bag that needs to be used.
Suggestions for next time – I would try brown rice, but our version was incredible.
Dish 3 – Stone Fruit Salad with Rose Vinaigrette
I was excited to try a fruit salad as a recipe in this book. I love stone fruit in the summertime, so this was a no-brainer. Our salad included peaches and nectarines, but they also mentioned plums and apricots. The mint leaves were a great touch, too.
Changes made – none
Suggestions for next time – I could skip the hazelnuts next time because the bites I had without them were still fantastic.
Lessons Learned
- Caramelized peppers are fantastic if you have the time to do it. I would use these for pizza toppings in the future.
- The author suggests cooking rice like pasta, which is a game changer. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the rice. Cook for 30 minutes and then drain. I can’t believe I have never done this.
- I don’t use mint enough in our kitchen, and the stone fruit salad made me want to add it to more fruit I snack on.
Who Should Buy This Cookbook
Salad Seasons would be a great gift or kitchen addition to everyone who enjoys strolling through a local farmer’s market. With the option for side dishes, mains, or desserts, this book can help you plan a dinner party or do some meal prep for the week. It will help you add a bit more vegetation to your diet in delicious ways.
Grab a copy here and support independent bookstores. (Or from Amazon here)
Final Thoughts on Salad Seasons
The photos are beautiful. Without too many personal stories, the recipes are clean and easy to follow. Salad Seasons is definitely a cookbook that I want to add to our permanent collection. I love the idea of cooking by the season and will save a few fall and winter recipes to boost my vegetable intake in those comfort food-heavy seasons. Are you a salad person?
Don’t miss the other summer cookbook review of I Love Trader Joe’s Plant-Based Cookbook.
