If you’re ready to take your keto diet with you into the summer, you’re going to want these fresh and delicious keto summer salads. Packed with bright and tasty ingredients, they’ll help you stick to your diet while letting you enjoy the season.
The best part is that everyone will love them, even if they’re not on a keto diet. This means no more making one meal for everyone else and one for you. You can all get in on these salads and reap the rewards.
Best Keto Salad Recipes for Summer
Remember, when making your keto salads, it’s all about the carbs. Keep track because some of those healthy foods can sneak up on you with more carbs than you expected.
1. BLT Lobster Roll Salad Recipe
What’s summer without some amazing seafood? And there’s nothing quite as delicious and decadent as a lobster. We are head-over-heels for this version of the lobster roll, without the roll, of course.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped
1 ½ cups cauliflower florets, cooked until tender and chilled
½ cup sugar-free mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
8 romaine lettuce leaves
½ cup tomatoes, chopped
½ cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
Directions:
Combine the lobster, cauliflower, mayonnaise, and tarragon in a bowl. Layout the lettuce leaves on a platter, and divide the lobster salad mixture between the leaves. Sprinkle with tomatoes and bacon. Roll to eat, using the lettuce as a wrap.
*Note that this recipe is low-carb, paleo, dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free. You can even swap the protein for chicken or shrimp if you’re not a lobster fan.
2. Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe
What’s a summer picnic without potato salad? This one gives you that flavor you love without the carb-filled potatoes. The trick is to use cauliflower, which is loaded with nutrition, and prepare it in a special way to give it the taste and texture of potatoes.
Ingredients:
2 heads cauliflower, about 10 cups of florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ cups avocado mayonnaise
¼ cup yellow mustard
1 cup dill pickles, diced
1 cup white onion, minced
½ cup celery, diced
6 eggs, hard-boiled
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Paprika, to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Prep the cauliflower by dicing it into one-inch cubes, and toss in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out in a single layer on the baking sheets, cook for 30 minutes, and flip once at 15 minutes or when the tops start to turn golden.
In a large bowl, mix the following: avocado mayo, yellow mustard, dill pickles, white onion, celery, and vinegar. Dice four hardboiled eggs, add them to the mix, and then add the cauliflower to the mixture. Toss to coat. Spread in a serving dish, thinly slice the remaining two hard-boiled eggs and place them on top. Sprinkle with paprika.
3. Eggplant Caprese Salad Recipe
A Caprese salad is the perfect way to enjoy the tastes of summer. This version adds some excitement to the traditional salad, including eggplant, which contains plenty of heart-healthy nutrients.
This is a keto meal, and it’s also good for people following paleo because it has some versatility. You can omit the cheese and add nut-based cheese, a cooked egg, or even salami to make it more flexible.
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, sliced into thin rounds
½ teaspoon sea salt
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
7-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 ounces, buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced
8 basil leaves
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Take eggplant rounds and spread them out. Sprinkle with sea salt, and let sit for 5-10 minutes to draw out moisture. Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add eggplant slices and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until they start to get crispy. Add more olive oil if needed. Layer the eggplant on a serving plate and set aside.
Return to the frying pan, add more olive oil if needed, and then add the slices of garlic and cook for a minute or two until they turn golden brown.
Top eggplant with mozzarella slices, tomatoes, basil leaves, and the fried garlic. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top and salt and pepper to taste.
*If you want to make this an even heartier meal, add your favorite protein like chicken, shrimp, or even steak.*
4. “Anti” Pasta Cauliflower Salad
If you’re missing delicious pasta salads on your picnics and summer outings, this quick recipe will at least remind you of a cold pasta salad while keeping you on your keto diet.
Ingredients:
2 cups raw cauliflower, chopped
½ cup radicchio, chopped
½ cup artichoke hearts, chopped
⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons Kalamata olives, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook cauliflower in the microwave for five minutes, then let it cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a medium bowl, mix radicchio, artichoke, basil, Parmesan, tomatoes, olives, and garlic. Then add the cooled cauliflower.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.
The Bottom Line
The great news is that a keto diet doesn’t prevent you from eating your favorite salads and all sorts of fresh veggies from the garden. It just means that you have to keep a close watch on those carbohydrates because they can sneak up on you when you think you’re being healthy.
From a comforting, tasty potato salad to a fun twist on the Caprese classic, these recipes are designed to give you a lot of flavor diversity, and they provide an opportunity for you to expand your meal options. Hopefully, they’re something the whole family can enjoy while promoting optimal health at the same time.
