Raw Veg Lunch Salad

raw veg lunch salad

We pretty much have a raw vegetable salad once or twice a week for lunch. Broccoli is a favourite.

per person:
1/2 – 1 tablespoon acid
1 tablespoon mustard, optional
150g / 5oz vegetables
small handful garnish / highlight, optional
small handful protein

1. Combine acid, mustard if using and extra virgin olive oil in medium bowl. Season.

2. Finely slice or chop the veg and toss in the dressing.

3. Etiher toss in the garnish / colour highlight or sprinkle it on top.

4. Sprinkle over the protein. Serve.

variations

vegetables – fennel, zucchini, cabbage, carrots, beets, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes (just finely slice with a knife), snow peas, sugarsnap peas, celery, red capsicum (bell peppers), parsnip. Leafy veg such as spinach, kale or collard greens can be finely sliced into ribbons with a knife.

acid – lemon juice is my favourite. Sherry vinegar, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, red/white wine vinegar, champargne vinegar. Vinegar tends to be stronger than citrus juice so you may need to decrease the acid or add more oil.

mustard – I love dijon. Seeded mustard is also good. Or try adding a teaspoon of soy sauce, miso paste, ketchup, a pinch of finely chopped garlic, spices such as carraway seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds or mustard.

garnish – herbs – try fresh coriander (cilantro), basil, mint, parsley, oregano, chives, green onions or even thyme.

crunchy garnish / highlight – nuts especially cashews or almonds, super finely sliced red onion, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, fried noodles.

other garnish / highlight – pesto, chilli, spices, goats cheese, shaved or grated parmesan, feta, fresh mozzarella, blue cheese .

protein – Toss in some cooked shredded meat such as BBQ chicken, pulled pork, roast lamb, canned tuna, sardines, canned beans, sliced hard boiled eggs, cooked lentils, chickpeas, chunks of crusty sourdough bread, cooked noodles, cooked brown rice, or cooked quinoa.

creamy – replace the olive oil with mayonnaise or yoghurt.

semi-warm – heat the protein before adding to the salad.

warm – cover the veg with boiling water and stand for a few minutes before draining and tossing in the dressing. Warm the protein as well, if appropriate.

leftover potential?

Brilliant as far as salads go. Will keep in the fridge for a week or so.

problem solving guide

difficult to eat – next time slice the veg finer or chop them into smaller pieces / ribbons.

too much dressing – for now just transfer the whole salad to a clean bowl, leaving behind as much dressing as you can. Toss again to rub off dressing. Next time mix the dressing up in a small jar and gradually add to the salad.

too dry – either mix up some more dressing and drizzle over OR just drizzle over some more oil and acid separately as the italians do.

too bland – season with a little more salt & pepper.

serving suggestions

Best served asap after dressing. Although no need to stress about it, as the veg are less likely to wilt than salad leaves.

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