What salads to serve with buffets over Xmas

[slimyslitheryslug]

See previous thread about hosting. I am determined not to put on too much weight this Christmas so though doing some nice salads will mean I don't just eat cheese & pork pie. I'm planning on doing a watermelon & feta one which I recently discovered. Any other suggestions?

Mary Berry did one that looked really nice on her programme on the BBC on Wednesday, you could watch it on catch up. Can't remember what it had in it really helpful i knowbut it looked really good and impressive and Mary berry made it look easy.

I generally don’t think I eat any salads the whole of December any year

I love Greek salads.

And chocolate salads. Cacao is a plant 😂

rocket, red onion and feta cheese with balsamic dressing (low fat if you insist!).

Red onion and red cabbage and lettuce?

A pasta salad

Green beans, rocket and sun dried toms?

I personally also love a basic lettuce, cherry tomato, pepper, cucumber type salad. Have some salmon, tuna, cold meats next to it for a make your own..

Mary Berry does a brilliant 'foolproof green salad'. It's not just salad leaves, it's got a lot in it and the whole idea is you can prepare it in advance, (it has dressing on the bottom and you toss it when you're ready) it's delicious, do google it!

I also am doing a vietnamese coleslaw which isn't coleslaw coated in mayo. It's really tasty with fish sauce, white wine vinegar, lime juice and lots of fresh herbs. Every time I've done it I get asked for the recipe.

oooh the vietnamese coleslaw sounds divine.
Recipe please.

This is my favourite salad - really filling and doesn't feel too summery!

Dressing:
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 fat garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 teaspoons sugar
1.5 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1.5 tablespoon lime juice (or lemon if you don't have it)
1.5 tablespoon fish sauce (you can buy this anywhere)
1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil
Fat bunch of mint chopped (if unavailable I use a good tablespoon of mint sauce concentrate)
half a medium onion finely sliced (or 3-4 chopped spring onions)
black pepper

Half a medium white cabbage finely sliced (although I use a mixture of red and white cabbage as it looks more attractive)
1 large carrot grated

Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Pour over the grated cabbage and carrot and mix well.

Enjoy! Everyone loves it as it makes a change from mayo rich coleslaw

I'm getting these salads from Booths. We need to at least pretend we aren't just pigging out over Christmas!

Buffet for Christmas Eve here, I’m doing coleslaw but with apple and celeriac and seeds added to it. The other salad I’m doing is bulgar and quinoa with peppers, red onions cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and feta with a lemony dressing. Other years I’ve made pasta salad and cucumber dill and yogurt salads.

Might give Rousette’s dressing a go.

The other thing I’m doing which is saladish is a marinade for smoked salmon, finely chopped shallot, green and yellow peppers, pink peppercorns and fennel with lemon zest and juice and a tiny bit of olive oil poured over the smoked salmon. Make ahead, pour over before guests arrive.

"Cowboy caviar" is a nice one - mixed beans, sweetcorn, peppers, onions and spicy lime dressing. I can't get at my Pinterest this morning but googling that phrase will find examples.

Any bean salad is good in autumn/winter. There's an old Slimming World one you make with a tin of five bean mix, blanched green beans, sweetcorn, peppers, red onion and optionally pasta and feta, with an orange juice and balsamic vinegar dressing.