Ashley is back with the second course of her summer menu: the perfect summer salad. Enjoy!

Week Two of Summer in the Kitchen

Welcome back! Over the course of this five-week series, I'm sharing everything from appetizers to desserts to inspire you to use Palouse Brand's premium legumes in fresh, seasonal ways. Summer is the perfect time for bright, refreshing dishes that make the most of garden-fresh ingredients, and this week's recipe is no exception.

If you missed Week One's recipe for Marinated Chickpeas with Whipped Feta, be sure to check it out that show stopping appetizer! Seriously, if you love feta like I do, I promise you will be very pleased.

If you're just popping in to the Summer Series, my name is Ashley, the creator behind @red.ridge.roots on Instagram. I have a passion for cooking—feeding and serving my family is truly my love language. When I'm not in the kitchen, you'll usually find me tending to our homestead on Red Ridge, working in the garden, caring for our chickens and rabbits, or preserving the harvest through canning, freeze-drying, and other traditional methods.

The perfect summer salad

One of my favorite things about creating summer dishes is how simple they can be. There's nothing like walking out to your backyard garden during peak harvest and knowing that no matter what you pick, it doesn't take much to turn those fresh ingredients into something absolutely delicious.

I know not everyone has a garden, and that's okay! Don't let that stop you from enjoying recipes like this. Visit your local farmers market, support a nearby farm stand, or simply grab whatever fresh, seasonal produce looks best at the grocery store. Crisp cucumbers, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, red onion, and tangy pickled banana peppers come together to create this salad that's colorful, refreshing, and packed with fresh summer flavor.

To make this salad even more satisfying, I love adding Palouse Brand Chickpeas and Clear Creek Black Beans. Not only do they add plenty of plant-based protein and fiber, but they also turn a simple vegetable salad into a hearty meal. Their legumes are incredibly versatile, making them an easy pantry staple to keep on hand for everything from salads and soups to dips and grain bowls. It's an easy way to add extra nutrition while creating a meal that's both fresh and filling.

Reliable pantry staples for recipes you’ll come back to

One of the reasons I know I'll be making this salad on repeat is because it starts with ingredients I almost always have on hand. During the summer, the fresh vegetables might change depending on what's growing in the garden or what's available at the farmers market, but I always like having quality pantry staples ready to go.

That's one of the reasons I love keeping Palouse Brand's dry beans stocked in my pantry. They're an easy way to add protein, fiber, and substance to meals without much extra effort. Whether I'm tossing together a quick salad like this one or making bean soups they're incredibly versatile and make homemade meals feel super easy.

When you pair fresh, seasonal produce with wholesome pantry staples, recipes like this come together in no time. It's a simple combo that makes healthy eating feel achievable, even on busy summer days. So if you're looking to keep a few staples on hand this summer, I'd definitely recommend adding Palouse Brand legumes to your pantry. They're a staple in my kitchen and one of my favorite ways to turn fresh vegetables into a meal that's both nourishing, satisfying, and they compliment the fresh produce so well.