Looking for simple and refreshing summer meals? Our salad recipes – fortified with ample protein – are satisfying enough to be a meal and are great for serving at casual backyard gatherings and weeknight suppers. With grilled steak, bacon (make it in cast iron on the grill), duck confit or cold charcuterie there’s a salad for everyone here.

Smoked Chicken Breast On Salad

Here’s a tasty example of a composed salad with all the ingredients neatly arranged on a platter – until you start eating it! This Cobb salad proves that our smoked meats are good for more than just the charcuterie board. Here we’ve combined our smoked chicken breast, bacon, and hard-boiled quail eggs with some of our favorite veggies, bleu cheese, and lemony vinaigrette dressing.

Duck Breast and Fruit on Salad

Having a smoked duck breast in the fridge means you are ready for nearly anything –  especially this delicious salad, which makes a wonderful, quick and cold dinner for a hot summer’s evening. You can use pretty much any fruit, depending on the season and what you have available. Dried cherries would work in place of fresh, or try figs, persimmons, raspberries, or blackberries (see this delicious duck salad).

Steak + Salad = The Perfect Pair

Any steak and any green salad will work together. This Thai-style salad offers a colorful, crunchy dish with sweet, spicy, and tangy notes. We made it with Wagyu Boneless NY Strip Steaks but use any cut of steak you like – or swap in pork tenderloin, or even bison steak.

Grain Salads with Cured Meat

Our hearty grain salad recipe has barley, sautéed mushrooms, leeks, shallots, and crisped pancetta – called ventrèche in French –  for a salty kick. Enjoy as a side or a main dish with over-easy eggs on top – the barley will absorb some of the runny egg yolks.

Shredded Confit for Salads

Our signature duck leg confit – and chicken confit – make fast, easy and tasty toppings for salads. Look no further than our Thai-inspired salad with shredded duck confit and a tangy, refreshing lime vinaigrette dressing for a cooling first course or light summer lunch. Though confit is fully cooked, we recommend blasting it under the broiler, or crisping the skin on the grill, before shredding for the perfect texture.

Bacon Makes Salad Better

This seems like a simple fact of existence. In this salad, asparagus and poached eggs are made complete by the addition of crispy bacon. Perfect for your next brunch, lunch, or even dinner. Another classic is the Tuscan panzanella salad with cubed bread, bacon, bibb lettuce and creamy citrus dressing (see featured photo). We consider this a BLT salad, because it has all the requisite ingredients.

Make a Basic Vinaigrette

When making salads at home, don’t bother buying bottled dressing, with additives and flavorings. Making your own vinaigrette is simple. Start with 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a bowl. You can choose a basic red or white wine vinegar, Champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar. Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and whisk together.

Slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons of oil, whisking continuously. The safest choice is to pick a mild olive oil (our Jean Reno Classic Blend would work well), keeping in mind that the stronger the flavor of the oil, the more it will overpower the vinegar. You can even use duck fat that has been heated slightly until it becomes liquid in place of olive oil.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add herbs if you want to get fancy.  Taste your vinaigrette before serving. To get a better idea of how it tastes, taste it on a piece of lettuce instead of using your finger or a spoon. If the vinegar is too sharp for your taste, whisk in a bit of honey to balance the acidity.

Serve the best this summer. When you shop dartagnan.com you support responsibly sourced meats from small family farms.