Summer salad full of protein

A salad is always a good idea if you ask me! The hot summer weather makes it even more suitable to go for a fresh and light salad. :) It's starting to finally feel like we're moving into summer, so that's all the more reason to whip up this yummy salad while the sun is shining! Here's a filling lunch salad, that is incredibly tasty, fresh, and so good that you'll have to make it a weekday staple, no matter the weather. 

In the mix

To me, the good thing about salads is that you can vary endlessly with them. You can have a light, side salad one day. And then a good, rich salad that can pass as a filling main course the next. Another advantage is that it's never too heavy on your stomach, so it's ideal to eat before a workout. And if you have some left over, you can stuff it into a Tupperware container and bring it to work the next day, win-win!

Ingredients for two people:

• 100 grams spinach
• Halved zucchini, thinly sliced
• 50 grams of green asparagus tips
• 200 grams of potatoes (with skin), cut into small cubes
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Half of mango, cubed
• 15 grams pine nuts
  
• 100 grams diced ham
• 2 organic eggs
• 100 grams cottage cheese
• Oil for frying

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 80 grams cottage cheese
• 6 mint leaves, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt

Directions:

• Boil the potato cubes and the eggs in a pot. Cook the potato cubes for 12 minutes, but remove the eggs after 6 minutes and place them under cold water.
• Roast the pine nuts in a dry pan until they are golden brown. Set aside.
• Fry the zucchini and asparagus tips in a bit of olive oil until they are golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste, and set apart.
• Cook the diced ham until they are crunchy and a nice color.
• Remove the potato cubes from the heat and place them shortly under cold water. You can now start building your salad.
• Begin with spinach. Put these into a large bowl, and add the potato cubes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus tips, mango and diced ham. Top it off with the roasted pine nuts, cooked eggs and cottage cheese.
• Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and stirring well. Pour the dressing over the salad, and serve!

This lunch salad is perfect as a main course in the evening or as a side at a BBQ or anything else you do for lunch! What do you think of this salad? Full of crunchy vegetables, salty ham, sweet mango and a soft cheese. Are you already on your way to score the ingredients? ;)