Cameron Diaz Reveals Her Summer Salad Recipe And It's the Perfect Mix of Nutrition and Flavor

Hollywood star Cameron Diaz knows her salads. The Charlie's Angels star, who is greatly recognized for her fitness and sculpted physique, revealed one of her go-to salads during the summer. As temperatures rise, it is essential to adjust to the climate to ensure the body optimizes its metabolism. But Diaz’s summery salad is a rather star-studded affair, as it was inspired by her celebrity pal Gwyneth Paltrow. Diaz talked to Women’s Health about the fabulous salad recipe she loves to enjoy on an ideal summer afternoon. 

“When I’m dreaming about my ideal summer afternoon, say a Saturday in late July, it includes a fresh summer salad, a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and a table full of friends,” the Knight and Day actor confessed. The summer salad includes fresh ingredients like mango and avocado, curated in collaboration with Paltrow’s Goop and Diaz’s wine brand, Avaline. The report listed the detailed recipe of Diaz’s summer salad, and it’s more than we asked for. 

Starting with the ingredients, the salad requires 4 cups of salad greens, which may include any vegetable of your choice. One cup of snow peas cut into julienne style, one cup of carrots sliced into ¼ inch half moon slices, and half a mango peeled and sliced into thin pieces. Finally, an avocado is cut in half and sliced. For the garnish, Diaz uses a mix of fresh herbs, including mint, cilantro, and basil. Fourth of a cup of roasted cashews, a half-cup of puffed rice, and two wedges of fresh lime. Now, for the method, it is suggested to layer the greens at the bottom of the bowl, followed by the vegetables, mango, and avocado. 

Add the garnish with herbs on top. Before serving, top the salad with the prepared dressing, some cashews, and puffed rice. Add lime wedges for an extra twist. The ingredients for the dressing, that amp up the taste, include cashews, maple syrup, sriracha sauce, lime juice, dijon mustard, miso paste, rice wine vinegar, sunflower oil, sesame oil, one clove of fresh garlic grated, and fresh ginger. To make the dressing, paste all of the dressing ingredients into a highly blended and smooth paste. To obtain the perfect texture of the dressing, slowly stream the oil and set aside until ready to serve. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to five days. Finally, Diaz recommended pairing the salad with Avaline’s Sauvignon Blanc. And voila! The perfect celebrity summer salad is ready. 

According to Medline Plus, salads are a classic way to consume crucial vitamins, minerals, and fiber. While salads have great taste due to their dressings, high amounts of it may not be healthy and will cancel the whole purpose of eating salads. Overdoing dressing can result in high-fat or high-sugar content, forcing a person to exceed their calorie intake. A report by WebMD stated that pre-made dressings like ranch, blue cheese, and Thousand Island are high in calories and contain saturated fats and sodium.

What people do not realize is that drenching their salads in dressing can end up serving more fat than a cheeseburger. The best ingredients for a salad dressing are olive oil and vinegar. These contain healthy unsaturated fat and taste best with lemon juice, honey, and a little Dijon mustard. Diaz, who goes by @camerondiaz on Instagram, shares more food and salad recipes on her page.