Most people would consider salads to be healthy dishes, but not always the most interesting, or the most filling. When Irish people think of salad, they may think of the “mammy salad”, which in many people’s experience is a mixture of ham, boiled eggs, cheese, lettuce and salad cream. Perhaps with pickled beetroot.
Personally, I’m a big fan of salads. I think that many dishes can be classified as one, as long as it’s somewhat cold and has vegetables in it. I love a classic Caesar or Cobb salad, and will pay good money for a Caprese salad (tomato, mozzarella and basil), made with the best-quality ingredients.
However, I’m still unsure of what actually constitutes a salad. The dictionary defines salad as “a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other ingredients”. Which is pretty much most meals, isn’t it? But served cold.
If you were to eat lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, croutons and ground beef balls as a salad with a dill and mayo dressing, it would sound reasonably healthy. If you rearrange the ingredient list and change croutons to a bread roll or bun, it’s a burger. Food for thought.
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These are my go-to salads, for when I want a meal with a mix of flavours and textures that leaves me full and satisfied, not craving something more substantial a short time later.
Recipe: Brown butter roasted cauliflower, almonds, Gorgonzola, raisin dressing
Recipe: Kale, smoked trout and crispy hen’s egg salad with sweet mustard dressing
Recipe: Asian-style marinated crispy tofu salad with ginger, garlic and soy dressing
