Summer salad recipes from vintage cookbooks are fun because they include salads for every ingredient under the sun from apples to zucchini. Some recipes sound downright disgusting and others are tried and true winners, standing the test of time through the generations.
I’ve selected five summer salad recipes to share with you from a collection of cookbooks that came from my husband’s grandma who passed away just a couple of years ago. She was born in 1926 and I truly hold her collection of cookbooks near and dear to my heart, especially the recipes that have been marked up with notes.
Molded Tuna Salad
Ingredients
1 can tuna fish
6 tbsp. mayonnaise (sandwich spread)
1 tbsp. chopped onion
½ cup celery, chopped
1 package lemon Jello
Directions
Set Jello until jelly stage, add other ingredients; pour into mold and set in refrigerator until firm.
This interesting summer salad recipe was contributed by Mrs. Orrie Knutson. Shared from Hor d’oeurves Pickles ‘n Relishes cookbook.
Chicken Salad
Cut cold boiled chicken into small cubes; put them in a bowl and to each quart, allow a teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, a saltspoonful of black pepper; mix and stand aside until cold.
Cut two-thirds as much white celery into bits of the same size and stand it in a cold place until mixing time.
At serving time, mix the celery and chicken, cover thoroughly with mayonnaise, serve on lettuce, garnish with olives, capers and hard-boiled eggs.
This summer salad recipe has been shared from Everyday Recipes, 1930, The Wesson Oil People – New Orleans, LA.
Carrot Salad
Ingredients
6 cups sliced carrots
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large onion sliced into rings
1 can tomato soup (10.5 ounces)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup oil
¾ cup white vinegar
1 tbsp. salt and dry mustard
Directions
Cook carrots until fork tender, then combine with chopped pepper and onion rings.
In a separate bowl, blend tomato soup, sugar, oil, vinegar, salt and dry mustard into a sauce.
Pour over the vegetables and let stand in the refrigerator for 12 hours to marinate.
This summer salad recipe has been contributed by Mrs. Bill Feskorn of Houghton Lake, Michigan. Shared from the Pot Luck Cook Book, 1973.
Three Bean Salad
A popular potluck or buffet dish.
Ingredients
1 can green beans
1 can wax beans
1 can kidney beans
½ cup green onions, minced
½ cup green pepper, minced
¾ cup white granulated sugar
½ cup salad oil
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate overnight.
This summer salad recipe has been shared by Gail Vaughan of Baytown, Texas. Shared from Aglow in the Kitchen, 1976.
Wilted Lettuce Salad
Serves: 8
Ingredients
5 slices bacon
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2 heads leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 tbsp. chopped green onion or chopped chives
1 tbsp. white granulated sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. cold water
Directions
Fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper toweling, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings.
In a large serving bowl, combine lettuce, onion and chopped eggs.
Combine reserved 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings with remaining ingredients. Heat to just boiling. Pour over lettuce; toss lightly.
Garnish with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.
Tip: For an extra zippy salad, add ¼ teaspoon dry mustard with pepper.
If desired, crumbled bleu cheese over Italian seasonings may be sprinkled over salad before serving.
This recipe has been shared from Pillsbury’s Soup & Salad Cookbook, 1969.
This article about vintage summer salad recipes was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
