What are your favourite salads?

[festivefoodie]

I am interested in including more vegetables in our meals so would love your recommendations for your favourite salads. Either as substantial ones (with carbs - think pasta, potatoes, grains, croutons, pulses, noodles etc) to have as main meals or for side salads as part of a spread. Any cuisines/cultures - really looking to feel inspired please!

Thank you.

The Salad Lab on Instagram posts great recipes

My favourite healthy meal is a feta ten-veg salad:
Cubes of feta, spinach, cucumber, sprouting seeds, cress, radishes, julienne carrots, pomegranate seeds, avocado, chopped walnuts, all mixed with a tahini and lemon dressing, then crispy fried onions on top.

The recipes look great, but the dressings are usually really complicated. I can usually put my hands on olive oil and lemon juice, but I'd need a new cupboard to stick the rest of the ingredients! Have you found a way to simplify them, or suggestions for the main ingredients it would be worth investing in?

Som tam- A Thai salad using green papaya https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/papaya-salad-v3/
Thai beef salad https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-beef-salad-2/
I like this served warm too https://www.recipetineats.com/roast-pumpkin-spinach-and-feta-salad/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/feta-beetroot-salad
The simplest is this watermelon salad. Grilled halloumi cut into cubes, green beans chopped into 3cm lengths, watermelon cut into similar sized cubes and toasted pinenuts- that's it. Refreshing and delicious.

That sounds great, @LoserWinner. What are the quantities for the dressing?

I adjust them slightly as it’s US-based so some aren’t really available or to my taste, but I have built up a larger store cupboard of ingredients I like for dressings

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/food_and_recipes/5045259-salads

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/food_and_recipes/5068123-your-three-or-four-best-salads-please

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/food_and_recipes/4748647-how-can-i-learn-the-ways-of-salad

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/food_and_recipes/5129624-hit-me-with-your-favourite-salad-recipes

^^ some great ideas in these recent threads.

A really simple, decent side salad - rocket, crushed walnuts, cucumber and tiny bit of balsamic. Grated parmesan on top if you fancy.

A couple of tablespoons of tahini, juice of one lemon, grated clove of garlic, pinch of salt, mix together well (it gets very sticky) and then loosen with enough water to make it the consistency of double cream. Quantities not exact - I do it by eye and taste.

Brilliant, thank you. I’ve got some tahini to use up.

One of my favourite dinners at the moment is a chicken ceaser pasta salad.

Roast a whole chicken or some legs/thighs and pick off the meat
Mix the pan juices with some cooked pasta
Let both of these cool to warm-ish (not piping hot)
For the dressing combine a big handful or Parmesan, a clove of garlic, and about six big spoons of mayo/yogurt (you can play with the mayo/yogurt proportions to your liking of taste and health, I tend to do 50:50 mayo and fat free yog). Season well.
Prep veg - I like to stick with green and crunchy e.g. romaine lettuce, cucumber, finely shredded cabbage, raw shredded broccoli, but use what you like

Each person can combine these ingredients to their liking. I tend to go for two big handfuls of veg, a couple of tablespoons of pasta, a handful meat, and generously dressed. DP goes heavier on meat/carbs. Also makes great leftovers for work lunches!

Tabbouleh done properly with lemon juice to 'cook' the couscous. Lots of grated cucumber, chopped tomatoes and fresh mint.

Classic Italian salad of tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil with olive oil.

Batavia lettuce with a simple vinaigrette.

Frizzy lettuce with garlic croutons and vinaigrette.

New potatoes, finely sliced red onion and hot lardons with a vinaigrette.

The trick to a decent salad is the dressing. Use good ingredients, french mustard, virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, red wine vinegar, raspbrry vinegar, fresh lemon juice etc. Save your jam jars. Pop the ingredients in a jam jar and keep in the fridge. Shake and pour however much you need. You don't need to make dressing from scratch every time.

Diced beetroot (I buy the baby ready cooked ones, often with a 'posh' flavouring); diced cucumber (I get rid of the seeds); diced red onion; lemon juice; loads of flat leaf parsley. Really good with a cheesy jacket potato.

Greek salad - I don't put tomatoes in mine - could happily eat this every other day, with pitta bread and homemade tzatziki.

Fattoush is really lovely, maybe with falafel and other Middle Eastern type bits.

Ditto tabbouleh - use more herbs than you'd ever think you might need.

Mango, red onion, red pepper, red chilli, lime juice, coriander = gorgeous with a baked sweet potato, or with rice and peas.

Deconstructed guac - avocado, red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, red chilli, lime juice - obviously great with anything Mexican-esque

Tabbouleh is usually made with bulgur wheat, rather than cous cous.

I really enjoy a Cobb style salad. Everything in small pieces with a proper home made vinaigrette. Usually eaten with a wholemeal pitta bread. 😋

Waldorf salad: walnuts, apple & celery mixed with 50:50 mayo and full fat Greek yogurt

I also love what I call, '1970s salad' -

iceberg lettuce, cucumber, sliced radishes, spring onions, sliced beetroot - with salad cream on the side - to be served either with quiche, or with buttered new potatoes and hard boiled eggs.

I am loving all these ideas - thank you so much. Keep them coming!

Celery, green apple, new potatoes (cold), gherkins, spring onion, parsley, black pepper All chopped, but not too small. Dressing = mayonnaise thinned with 'live' apple cider vinegar.

As others have said, tabbouleh. This recipe is good, and she has lots of other lovely salads on her website: www.loveandlemons.com/tabbouleh/

Egg mayo - got to be a good mayo - with cress (or watercress) and wild rocket. Ideally served with 'scoops' of bitter chicory (witloof) leaves, or, failing that, the inner sticks if celery. Goes very well with pumpernickel or very thinly-sliced granary bread. Or with seeded oatcakes.

Bulb fennel with fresh lemon juice and salt. Goes well with fish (eg hot smoked salmon or taramasalata) plus chicory and watercress, as above.

Traditional carrottes rapees - very finely grated carrots mixed with good olive oil. Lemon juice and a scattering of parsley optional.

Cowboy caviar I could eat an entire bowl of this to myself it's so addictive.
Ditto this kebab shop style but I like to add grated carrot and have a Kachumber salad with it.
Greek kale salad with tahini dressing
Green goddess salad this went viral and was everywhere last year and I still eat it all the time.
Grinder salad this isn't the healthiest but I absolutely love it.
I am also a fan of the salad lab, their Nandos salad is a regular meal prep lunch for me.

One I got from Northern Nics Back Kitchen on Facebook..
Any salad leaves
Roasted butternut squash
Crumbled Feta
Lemon juice.
I drizzle some Balsamic dressing on it aswell, it's absolutely delicious.

Salade Niçois makes a very substantial meal, tinned tuna, tomato, black olives, new potatoes, green beans and hard boiled eggs. It's a classic, very colourful on the plate. Serve with mayonnaise.

I often add chickpeas to a beetroot salad, to make it more filling. Don't forget simple salads such as avocado vinaigrette or avocado with prawn cocktail, or a large fresh tomato stuffed with prawn cocktail. Grated carrot vinaigrette is quick and easy as a side too.

I like a Russian style potato salad with sliced sausage or diced ham, gherkins and capers.