3 Perfect Summer Salads To Make This Week
Craving something a little different to your usual Caesar salad combo? These three delicious spring salads are the perfect healthy solution to these cooler summer days.
Revive your WFH lunch with these three dishes, all full of flavour and guaranteed to keep you well-nourished and satisfied through the summer months.
Poached chicken & smashed cucumber salad
If you haven’t heard of smashed cucumber before, you’re in for a treat. It’s a technique popular in many parts of Asia – bash the cucumber, remove the seeds, and let the rough edges soak up the dressing. This recipe only requires a simple chicken and rice to let the rich flavours of the salad shine.
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
INGREDIENTS Serves: 2
- 2 British chicken breast fillets
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
- 1½ tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp chiu chow chilli oil (available in selected stores) or ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 Cucumber, halved lengthways
- 1 celery stalk, finely sliced
- ¼ red onion, finely sliced
- 40g roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
- Handful coriander, roughly chopped
- 250g cooked jasmine or long grain rice, to serve
Method
1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer. Carefully add the chicken breasts and cook for 9-10 minutes until thoroughly cooked with no pink meat. Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the chicken to a chopping board.
2 Meanwhile, mix the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame and chilli oils (or flakes) in a large bowl. Place the cucumber halves on a chopping board, cut-side down. Using a rolling pin, bash all over until cracked in places, then scrape out and discard the seeds using a teaspoon. Roughly chop the cucumber and toss into the dressing with the celery and red onion. Stir through the cashews and coriander.
3. Divide the rice and cucumber salad between plates, then slice the poached chicken and arrange over the top.
Courgette Salad with Black Garlic Dressing
Black garlic adds a gorgeous sweet roasted garlic flavour to the dressing in this salad. It’s delicious drizzled over smoky griddled courgettes and green veg.
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
INGREDIENTS Serves: 4
- 500g new potatoes
- 200g pack Tenderstem broccoli, trimmed
- 200g fresh or frozen garden peas
- 2 courgettes, trimmed and cut into 0.5cm thick slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 Cooks’ Ingredients Black Garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp natural yogurt
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
Method
1. Put the potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Halve lengthways any thick spears of broccoli and add to the pan with the peas after 10 minutes. Simmer for 2-3 minutes more then drain everything. Set the peas and broccoli aside and halve the potatoes lengthways.
2. Meanwhile, heat a griddle or barbecue over a medium-high heat. Toss the courgettes with ½ tbsp oil and griddle for 1-2 minutes on each side. Toss the halved potatoes with another ½ tbsp oil and griddle, cut side down, for 2 minutes.
3. For the dressing, whizz the garlic, remaining 1 tbsp oil, yogurt and vinegar with a little seasoning in a small blender until smooth. Arrange the griddled potatoes, courgettes, broccoli and peas on large plates and drizzle over the dressing. Scatter with the toasted almonds to serve.
Broccoli tabbouleh with halloumi
INGREDIENTS Serves: 2
- 100g bulgur wheat
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- ½ small garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
- ½ cucumber (about 200g), sliced
- Large handful mint leaves, shredded
- ½ x 25g pack flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 200g pack Tenderstem Broccoli Spears, trimmed and sliced diagonally
- ½ x 250g pack halloumi cheese, cut into 2cm cubes
Method
1. Put the bulgur wheat in a bowl. Pour over 100ml just-boiled water, then cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Mix together the olive oil, orange juice, allspice, chilli and garlic; season. Toss through the bulgur wheat, then set aside to cool, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes. Stir through the cucumber, mint and parsley.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over a medium- high heat. Add the broccoli and fry for 4-5 minutes, then add 2 tbsp water and fry for a further 1 minute until tender. Tip into the bulgur wheat, then add the halloumi to the pan and fry, turning regularly, for 2-3 minutes. Tumble over the tabbouleh and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Waitrose | www.waitrose.com
