Your fantastic salad recipes please....

[lisalisa]

Message withdrawn

one of my favourites:

pink grapefruit, peeled then segmented. retain juice for dressing.

slice up red onions/shallots

thinly slice fennel

make up dressing with grapefruit juice and olive oil (mustard, if you like) and pour over. it won't go soggy in the fridge, but if you'd like to add say some watercress too, do this at the last moment.

Nigel Slater
A salad of bitter leaves, blue cheese and walnuts

Piquant leaves are a bonus, but make this salad with whatever ones you have. Use one or a mixture of blue cheeses, and make sure, if the walnuts are from a packet, that they are fresh; they become rancid shortly after opening.

For 2 as a light lunch, supper or snack

1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt
50m groundnut oil
2 large handfuls per person of: chicory leaves, radicchio and frisee, torn into bite-sized pieces
100g blue cheese: Dolcelatte, Roquefort, Stilton or Beenleigh Blue
75g walnut pieces

Mix the mustard, vinegar and salt in a salad bowl, pour in the oil and stir until thick. Add the bitter leaves, crumble in the cheese and drop in the walnuts. Toss the leaves, cheese and nuts in the mustard dressing.

Message withdrawn

fussy gussy
lol

Generally speaking, cheese in salads is very light as it is just crumbled across the top rather than a "main" ingredient, but here is another for you

Prociutto and Pear salad with Hazelnut Dressing (serves 6)

1 canteloupe melon
2 little gem lettuces
4 ripe pears cut into wedges
1 packet roquette
1 packet (70g) torn prosciutto
(you can also add some crumbled gorgonzola over the top for added flavour)

Dressing -
4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp red wine vinegar
1tsp dijon mustard
2tblsp roasted chopped hazelnuts

-Quarter the melon and cut into bite-sized pieces
-separate, wash and drain salad leaves and then add melon, pear and roquette
-make dressing and add half to salad, tossing together
-divide salad between plates (or leave in big bowl) and drizzle remaining dressing.

There is a very yummy Waitrose recipe for a Couscous salad with avacado and roasted peppers.

Here

couscous salad and roast veg from Delia is fabulous

or couscous and add very small chopped up tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion, capers, olives (poss artichoke hearts)

greek salad?

have you a huge serving plate because thick slices of buffalo mozarella, tomatoes and red onions with a dressing is nice

if loads of competing tastes I'd suggest some plain, bog standard salads too .. are they bringing hot or cold dishes?

a small chopped salad is nice with the usual suspects: cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, spring onion, radish

a big leafy salad

A greek salad is a good idea, and can be made and dressed in advance.

Nowt wrong with a cheese salad in your 4- people dont have to have loads, particularly if a blue cheese, and it is going to be less filling than rice - based salads, if that is what you are worried about.

Do you know exactly what everyone is bringing .. with things like this they might not think to bring carbohydrate accompaniments

eg if someone doing a chilli .. you'll need to do a plain rice

or maybe something works well with potatoes

Message withdrawn

Yummy one here

cherry toms cut in half
new pots cut to similar size
grapes cut in half
artichoke from a jar (with olive oil) sliced
bacon bits
slug of olive oil from artichoke jar
salt and pepper
feta cheese chunks
basil

can be served on toast or on it's own.

its not right you know

its really not right

Grated carrots with toasted pine nuts and sultanas/raisins. Olive oil/vinegar dressing. Is nice and refreshing and the sultanas absorb the dressing, so best eaten after an hour or so. And it's a nice colour too.

Message withdrawn

Cos lettuce, avocado chunks, walnuts, with a balsamic vinegar/olive oil/walnut oil vinaigrette.
Slices of orange and beetroot (but it has to be plain beetroot not vinegared) with olive oil.
Cold noodles with satay (peanut) sauce.
Pear, chicory and walnut.
Broccoli spears, steamed to perfection, with halved cherry tomatoes and pasta spirals, with garlic and olive oil, no vinegar.
New potatoes with a garlicky vinaigrette.
Salade nicoise.

it is hard because you are going to have to be careful not to make it too flavoursome or carby and that kind of limits you doesn't it.

I think there is a nice rocket, balsamic and fig one in a book downstairs but I think figs might not work with lots of things.

How about a roasted vegetable salad?

the carrot one sound lovely - you could add some raw grated beetroot / apple / celeriac to ponce it up and maybe a few walnuts or pine nuts.

Message withdrawn

gorgeous "Summer Chickpea Salad" from Jamie Oliver - with Feta cheese as well - really yummy

Summer Chickpea Salad
Serves 4

1 small red onion, peeled
1?2 fresh red chillies, deseeded
2 handfuls of ripe red or yellow tomatoes
2 lemons
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 410g jar or tin of chickpeas, drained, or around 4 large handfuls of soaked and cooked chickpeas
a handful of fresh mint, chopped
a handful of fresh green or purple basil, finely ripped
200g/7oz feta cheese
Method
First of all, finely slice your red onion. Once that is done, finely slice your chillies then roughly chop your tomatoes, mixing them in with the onion and chillies. Scrape all of this, and the juice, into a bowl and dress with the juice of 1 and-a-half lemons and about 3 times as much good extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste.
Heat the chickpeas in a pan, then add 90 per cent of them to the bowl. Mush up the remaining chickpeas and add these as well, they will give a nice creamy consistency. Allow to marinate for a little while and serve at room temperature.
Just as you are ready to serve, give the salad a final dress with the fresh mint and basil. Taste one last time for seasoning, you may want to add the juice from your remaining lemon half at this point. Place on a nice serving dish and crumble over the feta cheese.

Message withdrawn

Ingredients (serves 6)
55g walnut halves
80ml olive oil
80ml walnut oil (use extra olive if can't get this)
60ml red wine vinegar
1 tbs wholegrain mustard (I don't put this)
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt
1 x 80g pkt baby rocket leaves
3 figs, thinly sliced lengthways (I quarter or eigth them because it is easier)

Method

Place walnuts in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until toasted (if you can be bothered!).

Coarsely chop and place in a jug.

Add the olive oil, walnut oil, vinegar and mustard. Whisk until combined. Taste and season with sugar and salt.

Place the rocket and fig in a large serving bowl. Pour over the walnut dressing and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

oh and it is really easy - just shopping actually. I have done it without toasting the walnuts but that was because I had the walnut oil.

Puy lentil salad with feta

Fry 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil
Add 1 chopped red pepper and 3 tomatoes and fry until soft
Add 5 cups of puy lentils and fry for 5 mins
Add 1 pint of veg stock and bring to the boil
Simmer for 30-40 mins until the lentils are soft
Leave to cool and when warmish, add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, juice of half a lemon and a glug of olive oil
Give the salad a good stir
Finish by crumbling 3/4 of a packet of feta cheese over the top.

This is lovely served with lamb or chicken.

I also have a delicious recipe for a fruity red cabbage coleslaw if you are interested.

take salad

add blue cheese dressing and chips