Wow salads

[lechatnoir]

Can anyone share the showstopper salad recipes please? I’m having a big garden party/BBQ next week and I want some really nice looking tasty salads to go on platters.
I love Nigella’s avocado & feta salad and Ottolenghi’s spring salad but we always have these so after something different. We’re having a leg of lamb & sausages on the bbq plus a few roast chickens in various marinades and will do a green salad. serving with jackets and lots of breads so thinking more veg based than pasta/potato salads. We will have kids there but all teenagers so figure they can eat sausages and bread if they’re fussy!

Carrot + Kumquat (or orange) + sherry vinegar + mild olive oil + salt = fucking delicious

Pop the carrot in a food processor and pulse until v fine but still a bit crunchy.
De-seed and finely chop kumquat (if you can't find any then you can use orange including some of the orange zest).
Mix it all together, season with sherry vinegar, mild olive oil, salt.

Don't be tempted to add anything else!

Search for salad at Kitchen Sanctuary

She also has a superb salad recipe book.

Haha - except that 'hospitality' implies some sort of effort made to accommodate your guests?

I always ask 'can I bring something' and am told no, but then find there is nothing I can eat. I have started taking stuff in a cool box in the car, but people also seem to be offended if you bring your own food out! I just can't win.
I'd rather I didn't have the reaction to sulphites, but it is what it is!

(The bun is only 'dry' because mayo/ ketchup/pickle/coleslaw are all out for me...)

My favourite summer salad (and the one I’m basically stockpiling for lunches all week) is really simple - diced watermelon, with crumbled feta and chopped fresh mint. So refreshing. No dressing needed but if you’re feeling snazzy a bit of pomegranate molasses on top.

Wow thaw all sound so nice

You can’t go wrong with a juicy watermelon and feta salad – loads of fresh mint and a squeeze of lime really brighten it up. For something a bit special, charred peaches with creamy burrata and a drizzle of balsamic is proper crowd-pleasing stuff. And if you want a proper crunch, a rainbow slaw with shredded cabbage, carrot and a zingy lime-tahini dressing always looks the part on a big platter. All dead easy to chuck together but still feel a bit fancy – perfect for a BBQ!🐤

A friend did a home made Caesar salad recently, she made the dressing, it was absolutely delicious when made fresh.

Two of my favourite salads have already been mentioned (Ottolenghi’s asparagus, courgette and manouri - I also use halloumi instead of manouri; and the watermelon and feta).

i absolutely love green beans with lamb. My friend makes the most beautiful green bean salad: a dressing of oil, vinegar and garlic, mixed with the green beans when still warm from being cooked. Might be an easy addition to whatever else you choose and perfect with lamb

The Ottolenghi peanut butter miso salad is delicious. Ixta Belfrage has this gem and herb salad with maple, lime and sesame dressing in Mezcla and it’s probably my favourite side salad. It goes with everything, and is so bright and tasty. Everyone I’ve served it too has commented on it.

My other frequently complimented salads is the Dishoom broccoli salad. Like the Mezcla one, it’s so fresh and bright and crunchy.

These sound lovely!

Baby spinach finely chopped, crumbled feta cheese and pomegranate seeds goes well with lamb.

Chopped watermelon, diced feta cheese, basil and toasted pine nuts. No dressing.

This from a friend:

mixed leaves including rocket
prosciutto roughly cut
gorgonzola cut into blobs
figs cut into 4
toasted walnuts
dressing made from olive oil, sherry vinegar and honey

it’s my current most favourite salad.

That sounds gorgeous! Place marking for recipe.

Mary Berry rainbow coleslaw, and her squash, feta and spinach salad, have gone down well at recent barbecues.

Mexican corn salad is a big favourite here
https://www.loveandlemons.com/mexican-street-corn-salad/

How much oil and how much water to how many grams of the powder? I ordered it but there are no instructions!! Thanks!

Beetroot & Butterbeans with spinach & lambs' lettuce, sliced red onion and a dressing with olive oil, parsley, black pepper, lemon, chives & thyme. You could also top it with a raita of yoghurt, mint, black pepper & parsley.