Salad Recipes
Salads people actually want to eat: Greek salad, tabbouleh, pasta salad and hearty grain, lentil and chickpea bowls, with easy dressings.
Forget sad lettuce. A great salad has crunch, salt, something sharp and something rich, and it's hearty enough to be dinner. The Mediterranean, the Middle East and Asia have been making brilliant salads for centuries, and most of them cost very little. Here are the salads we come back to, plus the ingredients that make any bowl better.
The classics
- Greek salad. Tomato, cucumber, red onion, olives and a slab of feta, dressed with olive oil. No lettuce, no fuss.
- Tabbouleh. Lebanon's herb salad, mostly parsley and mint with tomato, lemon and a little bulgur. Chop the herbs by hand with a sharp knife; our knife skills guide shows how.
- Pasta salad. Cherry tomatoes, olives, capsicum, bocconcini and basil in a shake-in-a-jar dressing. Feeds eight and travels well to barbecues.
Hearty bowls
- Couscous salad. Couscous cooks in five minutes with just boiling water. Toss it with roast vegetables, herbs and a lemony dressing.
- Lentil salad. Cooked brown or green lentils hold their shape and soak up dressing. Add feta and spinach and it's a meal.
- Chickpea salad. A drained tin, chopped tomato, cucumber, red onion and herbs. Ready before the kettle boils.
- Bibimbap. Not technically a salad, but this Korean rice bowl piled with seasoned vegetables scratches the same itch.
Fresh and zingy
- Radishes. Slice them paper-thin for peppery crunch.
- Avocado. Adds creaminess to any salad. Dress it straight away with lemon or lime so it stays green.
- Spinach. Baby spinach makes a mild, tender base that holds up to warm toppings.
- Fresh herbs. A big handful of mint, coriander, basil or dill turns a plain salad into something memorable.
- Guacamole. Leave it chunky and it's practically a salad.
Add some crunch
Dressing, simplified
Most great dressings follow one ratio: roughly three parts oil to one part acid, plus salt. Shake olive oil with lemon juice or vinegar in a jar, add a little mustard or honey, and you're done. For an Asian twist, try lime juice, fish sauce, a pinch of sugar and chilli. For a Korean one, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar.
Salad safety
Salad is eaten raw, so it pays to keep it clean. Wash fresh fruit and vegetables under running water, without soap, and use a different board for raw meat than for salad. Our food safety guide explains why. Dress leafy salads just before serving so they don't wilt.
More ideas
For more veg-forward dishes see fruit and vegetables, and for light lunches and nibbles see healthy snacks.