Slimmed-Down Summer Sides

Veg Lite

Slimmed-Down Summer Sides

Feast on your favorite cookout salads—without overloading on calories

BY Heidi Allison

Pasta salad, potato salad, coleslaw—cold side dishes are as much a part of summer cookouts as burgers and corn on the cob. Trouble is these “salads” often rack up a hefty calorie count that can make a veggie burger with all the fixings seem like diet food. The antidote: revamped classics that use bold-flavored ingredients, herbs and spices, yogurt and citrus sauces, and even plain ol’ water (pasta cooking water, that is) instead of high-calorie dressings. Who wants seconds?

July/August 2009 p.46

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Penne Pasta Salad with Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

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A high-quality, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is essential to this recipe’s success: the bold, salty flavor curbs the need for extra fat or seasoning. The salad also makes a quick weeknight meal when served hot.

Curried Potato Salad with Toasted Cumin

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Parboiling and then steaming whole potatoes before you slice them guarantees salad-perfect spuds that are creamy and firm, not mushy. Curry powders vary greatly in heat, so you may have to add more when seasoning the sauce.

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette

A pinch of cinnamon is the secret ingredient in this tangy-sweet salad. For added color, use half orange carrots, and half yellow or purple heirloom carrots (a summer favorite at farmers’ markets).

Lemony Coleslaw with Fresh Dill

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This slaw, dressed with lemon juice and grape seed oil instead of a creamy sauce, makes a terrific salad or sandwich topping. Clean tasting and light, grape seed oil is a Mediterranean salad favorite that’s rich in antioxidants, providing significant health benefits.