Hit me with your best (easy) salad recipes please...

[AnyOtherUserName]

I have about 3 salads I ever make (basic mixed salad, tomato & basil or a yummy potato, broccoli, lemon & feta one).

We are trying to eat more salads (and cut carbs a bit) so I need to branch out.

Please will you share your favourite salad ideas for inspiration.

Greek salad - cucumber, tomato, feta, red onion, splash of red wine vinegar, olives if you like them. You can also have it with chickpeas to make it more of a meal.

Most of the others I make are carb-based so probably not what you're looking for!

Oh also trempo - tomatoes, green pepper, red onion. Add cumin seeds or ground cumin and lemon or lime juice and splash of olive oil.

Pasta (carbs though) salad with oil based dressing, pine nuts, feta, red onion, peppers and olives.

Pasta (carbs again) salad with salad cream, tuna, sweetcorn, peppers, chives and olives.

Maybe these could be done with courgette vegetable pasta instead?

I love halloumi and pomegranate, salmon with butternut squash spaghetti, Tuna Nicoise, walnuts and Brie with grapes.

At the moment I love the new Bunlimited range I found in Asda, they are meant for hotdogs. They do a tub of gherkins that taste just like Americn Subway/McDonald's ones not sweet English ones (been searching for gherkins for salads like this for YEARS) and they also do crispy curried onion that taste like bits of onion bhaaji, and they also do a Chipotle mayo which is just like Subways. I love all of these bits on salads at the moment.

Ohhh, some of these are making me hungry.

Liking the sound of the trempo.

Have tried the Greek salad on my lot and general response was a bit "meh". May just have to try again and tweak it.

The protein generally is covered as this is for stuff to serve with be grilled/bbq chicken, fish etc.

Pine nuts are big favourites of ours - think that is what makes my potato/brocolli salad such a hit....

Thank you - and keep them coming...

Tuna or Salmon nicoise are always lovely. I prefer steaks but tinned or jarred fish will do fine. Boiled eggs, green beans, black olives, anchovies (optional) and I just do a simple vinagrette with balsamic or whatever we have. Could add cherry toms for more veg.

I recently did a mozzarella and grilled peach salad which was LOVELY, balsamic glaze and pine nuts added to it.

I also do a 'healthy' Ceasar salad, parmesan shaving, grilled chicken breast, spring onions, asparagus and then a dressing with greek yoghurt as a base and then other typical ceasar dressing ingredients.

Chicken tikka salad - marinated chicken breasts (or turkey or fish), greek yoghurt and lemon juice as a dressing, grilled peppers, red onions, plenty of lettuce (or do as lettuce wrap)

Mexican taco salad - marinated chicken breasts (or turkey or fish, or skip meat altogether and add roasted butternut squash), plenty of lettuce, coriander, lime juice and a bit of tabasco as a dressing, black olives, sweetcorn, peppers, spring onion

Thought of another.. fry up chorizo, add cooked chickpeas for a few mins at the end, add to lettuce with some spring onions, dress with lemon juice/olive oil

This is a crazy-sounding salad an old girlfriend of my dad’s used to make. We were sceptical, but grew to love it!

Very easy. Thinly sliced green cabbage, grated cheese & peanuts. Basic olive oil & salt dressing, vinegar optional.

More traditionally, try thinly sliced fennel bulb with orange segments. olive oil & salt dressing.

This is my go to as a base - it's quite easy to change it up ...

glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2015/05/quinoa-taco-salad.html

I cook the quinoa with either half stock / half water or add a good spoonful of bullion powder to give it a bit of flavour.

You can change up the additional ingredients, so I might add feta or grated cheese, leave out the pepper or tortilla chips, add chunks of beetroot or pieces of orange, chopped tomatoes or a handful of toasted almonds, chopped boiled egg, shredded fresh basil or a touch of cumin, maybe add some chicken or salmon or tuna.

Whatever you have to hand and fancy.

It's low carb (without the tortillas), high protein and quite filling.

Baby spinach leaves with crispy pancetta or lardons, shaved Parmesan, croutons and oil/balsamic dressing. Really easy really tasty 👍

Thank you for these ideas, I have popped some green cabbage and peanuts in my online shop and some pancetta, spring onion and chorizo...lots to start with.

Any more welcome.

For those that want a less potato-ey, less mayo/creamy/gunky potato salad here is our favourite - which can be served hot/cold or anywhere in between:
Mix together cooked new potatoes and tenderstem broccoli. Sprinkle over some crumbled feta, toasted pine nuts and lemon rind. Herbs if you fancy too. Then a dressing of oil, vinegar, s & p and a dab of honey. Is lush and what turned DS from a brocolli hater to a child obsessed by it.

This is divine. I make it look just like the recipe before I toss it. Sometimes use spelt as a healthier alternative to barley.

sweetpeasandsaffron.com/kale-barley-and-feta-salad-with-a-honey-lemon-vinaigrette/

Thanks for these. I’m inspired.

Use a peeler to cut very thin strips of raw courgette. Dress with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, dash of mustard and salt. Can add a few thinly sliced radishes for interest.

Or

Chicory, blue cheese and walnuts with honey and grain mustard based dressing

Or

Baby spinach, avocado, pine nuts (optional lardons or cheese)

Beetroot, feta, thyme

Finely diced goats cheese and pear mixed with dried cranberries and walnut pieces. Serve on a bed of rocket and drizzle with honey and mustard dressing.

Don't know what to call it but:

8-10 varied slices of good cooked meat;
3 or 4 boiled eggs halved;
Large portion of quiche (1/2 kilo roughly);
Pickled beetroot;
Portion of boiled in skin baby new potatoes;
Half jar of full fat mayonnaise drizzled over dish;
Small letuce leaf to garnish.

Not filling like eg potato but very refreshing: watermelon, cucumber, feta, all chopped into similar size chunks. Mint, balsamic vinegar (no oil).

I love it

Tuna Nicoise style : hard boiled egg,
Cold potato, cooked green beans , lettuce, tomato, posh tinned tuna (in oil not brine). Dressed made using oil and Dijon mustard.

This one is a copy of a Starbucks salad and can be a bit faff but is most defo with it in the end! Roast 6 chicken thighs coated with harissa paste - about 30 -40 mins - then cool. Roast a couple of cubed, seasoned sweet potatoes and cool. Blanch then roast and cool generate brocolli and asparagus. In a bowl mix a pack of pre cooked quinoa, pre cooked puy lentils and small can of chick peas with chopped fresh mint, coriander lemon zest and juice fresh red chilli and salt and pepper. Chop the chicken thighs into this.
Put salad leaves in a bowl, spoon lentil and chicken mix over. Lay asparagus, broccoli and sweet potato on top. Sprinkle feta cubes and pomegranate seeds to finish.
Serve with homemade ceaser dressing!!!

*tenderstem broccoli- not generate!!!

Chickpeas, mayonnaise, tuna, anchovies, coriander, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Beetroot (plain boiled, not in vinegar, often available vacuum packed) chickpeas, finely chopped red salad onion, vinaigrette dressing, make ahead of serving so the colour blends a little, it's a very filling salad.

Avocado, thinly sliced celery or fennel, rocket, chicory and segments of pink grapefruit or pomegranate seeds with a citrus dressing is a good autumn salad, as is the classic pear and walnut salad.

Oooo more lovely ideas. Thank you.

I have just made the "Crazy Old Girlfriend" salad mentioned by @Skittlesandbeer - cabbage, cheese and peanuts - was surprisingly good. The dressing I used had a bit too much oomph (was lemony/honey one) so I would maybe just use a little oil/vinegar next time. Was a satisfying mix though of crunch, salty and creamy. Yum. Will be doing that one again.

@AnyOtherUserName just had your broccoli and new potato salad for dinner as I had all the stuff in, served warm with salmon. It was delicious! Thank you. Definitely recommend :)

I love beetroot with feta and cucumber