Can you bring a salad? I’m guessing, if you’re like me, you’ve heard this many times before. I love enjoying the food and company of friends and family, but how often can you turn up with your ‘special’ dish before it gets boring? Here are three amazing recipes for salads to share that the whole family will love. They have been tried and tested many times, and I can assure you they will become family favourites at your table.
Pumpkin, Beetroot and Halloumi Salad
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 kg butternut pumpkin peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 6 beetroots boiled then skin removed
- 100 grams rocket
- halloumi sliced and pan-fried
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds lightly toasted
- parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juiced
- 1 red onion (small) thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Peel the pumpkin and spread it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 180°C until cooked through, then let it cool.
- Slice the onion thinly and place it in a bowl with lemon juice, cover, and let it stand for at least half an hour. Then add the olive oil and a tablespoon of honey, season with salt to taste, and pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.
- Cut the beetroot into chunks. In a large serving bowl, combine the rocket, roasted pumpkin, and beetroot. Top with halloumi. Garnish with sesame seeds and dress with parsley before serving.
Beetroot and Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 4 carrots peeled and grated
- 1 beetroot raw, peeled and grated
- 1 handful mint leaves a large handful, roughly chopped
- 1 handful coriander leaves a small handful. roughly chopped
- 1 cup tamari coated almonds roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup currants
Dressing
- 1 chilli deseeded and chopped finely (long red for a milder flavour, short red for hot)
- 1 tsp ginger finely grated
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ground sumac
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the carrots and beetroot in a large bowl. Stir through the mint and coriander leaves, then sprinkle in the almonds and currants.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over the salad to serve.
Nectarine, Quinoa and Avocado Salad
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup tri-coloured quinoa
- 80 grams baby spinach leaves
- 2 nectarines choose ripe ones, and remove the stone then slice
- 1 avocado stone removed and sliced
- 1 handful walnuts
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions. We use 1 cup of dry quinoa to 2 cups of liquid stock. Once cooked, leave it to cool.
- Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of honey to make the dressing.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the walnuts out in a single layer. Drizzle with the remaining honey and bake until the honey starts to caramelise. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Place the cooled quinoa into a large bowl and toss through the spinach, nectarine, and avocado slices. Finish with the honeyed walnuts and a generous pour of dressing before serving.
