With the much-improved weather, we tend to find ourselves wanting lighter meals. We tend to go for a protein and salad. Here we will share with you some of our favourite salads. All salads are based on four portions. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Tuna Nicoise
Ingredients
2-3 120g Cans Tuna
2 Medium Potatoes
4 Eggs
1 Packet Green Beans
15 Cherry Tomatoes
3 Slices of Bread
Pitted Olives
Juice of 1 Lemon
Olive Oil
Salad Leaves
Method
- Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges and cook in boiling salted water until just cooked. Drain and refresh under cold water.
- Top and tail the green beans and cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain and dry.
- Boil the eggs in boiling salted water for 7 minutes. Refresh under cold running water. Peel while the eggs are slightly warm. Leave in cold water until needed.
- Preheat your oven to 190oc. Dice the bread into 1 cm dice. Place on an oven proof tray with grease proof paper. Drizzle generously with some oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until nice and crisp. Remove and allow to cool.
- Make a dressing with the juice of 1 lemon and some olive oil. Season and taste.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and quarter the boiled eggs.
- Drain and squeeze as much moisture from the tuna.
- Assemble the salad with all the ingredients flaking the tuna and croutons on top. Spoon over the dressing and serve.
Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts
2 large Romaine Lettuce
1 Cloves of Garlic minced
1/2 Lemon
150ml Mayonnaise
1 tbs Parmesan Cheese
Sliced bread for Croutons
1 tsp Worchester Sauce
Dried Mixed Herbs
Method
- Season the chicken breasts with salt pepper and dried mixed herbs. In a frying pan with a little oil over a high heat seal the chicken breasts on both sides until they are nicely coloured.
- Place the chicken breast on a tray and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breast.
- Dice the bread, place on a tray with some salt, pepper and dried mixed herbs. Drizzle with some oil and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until nice and crunchy.
- To make the dressing add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese and crushed garlic to the mayonnaise. Stir well and set aside.
- Slice the romaine lettuce and wash well. Spin in a salad spinner to dry. Gently toss the lettuce with the dressing. Serve with the sliced chicken breast, croutons and a little more grated Parmesan cheese.
Cobb Salad
Ingredients
300g Cooked Diced Chicken
2 Sliced Avocado
4 Diced Tomato
6 Slices Cooked Diced Bacon
4 Quartered/Sliced Hard Boiled Eggs
Diced Cheddar Cheese/Crumbled Blue Cheese
Mixed Salad Greens
1/4 Red Onion Sliced
Dressing
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 tbs Mayonnaise
1 tbs Greek Yoghurt
1 tsp Garlic Granules
Method
- In a bowl add all the dressing ingredients and mix well.
- In a large dish or bowl lay out the mixed leaves.
- Arrange the salad items in rows across the dish/bowl. Serve in the centre of the table with the bowl of dressing.
Steak & Wedge Salad
Ingredients
4 Steaks
4-6 Baby Gem Lettuce
1/2 Red Onion
1/2 Punnet Cherry Tomatoes
6 Slices Smoked Bacon
1 tbs Vinegar
1 tbs Water
Pinch Sugar
Blue Cheese Dressing
75g Blue Cheese
3 tbs Sour Cream
3 tbs Buttermilk
3tbs Mayonnaise
1 tsp White wine Vinegar
Black Pepper
Method
- Remove the steaks from the fridge and allow them to get to room temperature before cooking.
- Slice the onions as thinly as possible, place in a bowl and add the vinegar, water and a pinch of sugar and leave for 20 minutes.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.
- Make the blue cheese dressing by adding all the ingredients and blend well. Taste and adjust, if necessary, with more blue cheese or sour cream, buttermilk, or mayonnaise.
- Remove the brown part of the stalk and cut the baby gems in half and then cut each half into three.
- In a hot frying pan with a little oil cook the bacon. Once cooked remove and pat off any excess oil with paper towel.
- Season the steaks well and fry on both sides to your preferred cooking stage. Leave to rest for 5-7 minutes.
- Chop the bacon and set it aside.
- Build your salad with the lettuce wedges, the pickled onions, and the sweet cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with as much or as little of the blue cheese dressing.
- Slice the steaks and serve.
Warm Poached Salmon with Shirazi Salad
Ingredients
4 Salmon Fillets
1 Small Cucumber
2 Plum Tomatoes
1/2 Bunch Spring Onions
1/2 Bunch Chopped Parsley
1/4 Bunch Chopped Mint
2 Limes Juiced
1 Lemon
1 tsp Sumac
Olive Oil
Method
- In a pot put enough water to just cover the salmon. Add 1 spring onion, 1/2 a lemon cut into 2 or 3, some parsley stalks, Salt and pepper.
- Place on a medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering add the salmon fillets. Bring back to a simmer and turn off the heat and leave for 10-15 minutes.
- Cut the cucumber in half-length ways and de-seed with a teaspoon. Roughly chop the cucumber and tomatoes. Finely slice the spring onions.
- Place in a bowl and add the chopped parsley, chopped mint, sumac, lime juice, olive oil salt and pepper. Mix together. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.
- Remove the salmon from the water and gently remove the skin if they are not skinless fillets.
- Serve with the salad and lemon wedges.
And there you have it our easy go to Summer salads! For more recipes check out our Meal Planning site Food Without Thought . Any questions comment below. Enjoy!