Johannesburg - With summer on our doorstep, it’s time to dust off the salad servers and dish up some tasty and interesting salads.
When travelling through Asia I never ate a bland or boring salad – they were all bursting with a wonderful spicy flavour. After that I found it hard not to add a touch of chilli to just about every salad dressing I made.
The key ingredients to use when spicing up your salads or dressing are ginger, garlic, chillies and lemongrass. Also include lots of chopped fresh herbs like coriander, mint and basil.
The best oils to use in spicy dressings are sesame, peanut or sunflower.
Salads can be a mixture of ingredients you have on hand and what suits your family’s taste, so use the recipes as a guide and don’t be afraid to add or remove any of the ingredients.
THAI BEEF SALAD
Serves 4
600g rump steak
30ml peanut oil
salt and pepper
45ml lime juice
15ml brown sugar
15ml fish sauce
10ml sesame oil
30ml soy sauce
10ml grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
30ml chopped fresh coriander
30ml chopped fresh mint
1 red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
30ml sweet chilli sauce
200g cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber, halved lengthways, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and griddled
150g green beans, halved and blanched
1 yellow pepper, seeded, sliced
Brush the rump with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a griddle pan until very hot and fry the steak until cooked to your liking.
Transfer to a plate, cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the meat and place in a glass bowl.
Whisk together the lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, herbs, chilli and sweet chilli sauce in a jug.
Pour half the dressing over the sliced meat and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Combine the meat with the rest of the ingredients, pour over the remaining dressing and serve.
VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SALAD
Serves 4-6
500g chicken breast fillets
375ml chicken stock
1 red chilli, seeded, sliced
5ml chopped fresh ginger
4 cups green cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, grated
4 spring onions, chopped
1 tart apple, cored and grated
10ml sesame oil
60ml apple cider vinegar
15ml fish sauce
45ml lime juice
15ml brown sugar
2ml salt
45ml chopped chives
60ml chopped basil
DRESSING
125ml sweet chilli sauce
60ml rice vinegar
5ml fish sauce
finely-grated zest and juice of 1 lime
In a medium saucepan, poach the chicken fillets in the chicken stock on low for 10-15 minutes, until cooked.
Remove, cool and shred. Set aside.
In a large glass bowl, combine the chilli, ginger, cabbage, carrots, spring onions and apple with the sesame oil, vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and salt. Toss and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Stir in the chicken, chives and basil.
Pour over the dressing and serve.
DRESSING: Whisk the ingredients together.
SPICY PORK SALAD CUPS
Serves 4-6
15ml peanut oil
500g lean pork mince
1 stem lemongrass, pale section only, finely sliced
1 long green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
15ml fish sauce
30ml sweet chilli sauce
5ml lime zest
60ml fresh lime juice
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
180ml fresh coriander leaves
30ml chopped fresh mint
TO SERVE
baby cos lettuce leaves
60ml chopped and roasted peanuts
sliced cucumber
Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add half the mince, lemongrass and chilli and stir fry, breaking up any lumps, for 5 minutes, until the mince is well browned.
Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
Repeat with the remaining oil, pork, lemongrass and chilli. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together the fish sauce, sweet chilli, lime zest and juice until well combined.
Drizzle the pork mixture with the dressing.
Add the onion and herbs and stir well.
Spoon the pork mixture into lettuce leaves and sprinkle with peanuts.
Serve with sliced cucumber.
SPICY MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
Serves 8-10
1kg carrots, cut julienne
1 red onion, finely chopped
125ml dried cranberries
15ml preserved lemon skin, finely chopped
60ml pomegranate rubies
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
45ml white wine vinegar
80ml sunflower oil
5ml ground cumin
5ml castor sugar
125ml chopped fresh coriander
DRESSING
250ml Greek yoghurt, chilled
15ml harissa paste
5ml salt
Combine the carrots, onion, cranberries, preserved lemon, pomegranate rubies and chilli in a bowl.
In a jug, whisk together the vinegar, oil, cumin and sugar.
Pour it over the carrot mixture and mix well. Allow to stand for 10-15 minutes.
Stir in the coriander.
Pour over the dressing and serve.
DRESSING: In a jug, whisk together all the ingredients.
INDONESIAN-STYLE CHICKEN SALAD
Serves 4-6
500g chicken breast fillets
375ml chicken stock
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
60ml slivered fresh mint leaves
60ml chopped fresh coriander
1 red pepper, cut in thin strips
100g bean sprouts
60ml chopped roasted peanuts
2ml salt
PEANUT DRESSING
60ml freshly squeezed lime juice
10ml grated fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
5ml fish sauce
a pinch of cayenne pepper
15ml peanut butter
15ml honey
15ml soy sauce
30ml buttermilk
In a saucepan, poach the chicken in the stock over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, until cooked.
Remove, cool slightly and shred.
Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the dressing and serve.
DRESSING: Combine the lime juice, ginger, garlic, chilli, fish sauce and cayenne. Stir together.
Add the peanut butter, honey and soy sauce and combine well.
Whisk in the buttermilk. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Angela Day, The Star