Salads are often unfairly thought of as something only to be eaten when on a diet, and not enjoyed or, at best, a side dish to accompany a main meal. And salads can often be boring, with most people plumping for the traditional iceberg lettuce.
There are actually more than 60 varieties of lettuce and salad leaves available in Britain, so there's plenty of room to try something new. The British Leafy Salads Association is seeking to inspire people to branch out and begin to love salads, as there are so many different types with a wide range of flavours and textures.
For example, rocket has a peppery flavour and is great in Italian cooking, whereas little gem lettuce is much sweeter. The trick to getting a tasty salad is to pair the right leaves with other ingredients.
We've put together a few tips on how to spice up summer salads, as well as a couple of Recipes from the British Leafy Salads Association. Check them out below:
- Make salad into a main meal by adding protein. This can include meat such as pork, steak or tuna fish, feta or goat cheese, as well as kidney beans and pine nuts. Use your imagination: for vegetarians, you can substitute meat for tofu.
- Change regular pasta to wholewheat pasta. This will make for a more exciting taste, as well as increasing the fibre, vitamins and minerals you'll be getting.
- Make sure to season. Herbs can revitalise a salad, and bring loads of flavour. Use basil and parsley to bring more interesting tastes, but remember not to overdo it, otherwise you won't taste anything else.
- Try something unusual. Take a trip to your supermarket or greengrocers', and see what vegetables are in season. Don't just go for the usual tomatoes and cucumber, instead try asparagus and peas, and you can even use some fruits, such as berries, to bring a sweeter flavour.
- Dress it at the right time. Soggy salads are horrible to eat, so dress it just before you're about to eat it. You can also put the bottle on the table so you can add more: it's better to not put enough on at first, than to put on too much and ruin your meal.
Crispy Duck & Sesame Leafy Salad
Serves 2-3
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
610g pack half aromatic crispy duck (including 12 pancakes and hoisin sauce sachet)
3 tsp toasted sesame oil (2tsp dressing; 1tsp frying)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
180g pack Bistro Salad
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.
Cook the duck according to pack directions. Meanwhile, mix the hoisin sauce sachet with 2 tsp sesame oil and vinegar to make the dressing.
Roll 6 pancakes up together and cut into 1cm slices, repeat with the remaining pancakes. Heat the olive oil and remaining sesame oil in a large frying pan and fry the shredded pancakes for 4-5 minutes until golden. Mix into the Bistro salad and toss in 2 tbsp of the dressing.
Shred the duck with 2 forks and mix into the remaining dressing and place on top of the salad, scatter over the sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Cook’s tip
Try using a pack of Baby Leaf Salad instead of the Bistro Salad. Remove the skin of the duck before shredding for a lower fat option.
Summer Leafy Salad with Salsa Verde Dressing
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
4 tbsp chopped mixed herbs (parsley, chives, mint, thyme)
2 tsp capers, chopped (12g)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
110g bag Baby Leaf Salad
25g toasted flaked almonds
200g frozen peas, defrosted
1 large carrot, grated (100g)
½ whole round lettuce, roughly shredded (120g)
4 large eggs, poached
Method:
To make the dressing, mix the herbs, capers, oil and vinegar together and season. Toss half the dressing into the baby leaf salad with the almonds and place on the base of 4 serving plates.
Mix together the peas, carrot and round lettuce then toss in the remaining dressing. Place a pile on top of the baby leaf salad and top with a poached egg. Serve immediately.
Cook's tip
Try replacing the Baby Leaf Salad and round lettuce with Bistro Salad and cos lettuce. Try serving without the egg for a great side salad at barbecues.
