Quick Main Course Salad

I love having salad for dinner. Especially when it’s super hot out and I don’t really feel like creating any heat in the kitchen. I love the convenience of picking up a BBQ chicken from my local supermarket and turning that into a meal as in the video, but there are literally hundreds of ways you could create this recipe.

Per person…
2 teaspoons acid
1 teaspoon mustard, optional
100g (3.5oz) carby ingredient
100g-150g (3-5oz) cooked protein
1/2 bag washed salad leaves

1. Whisk together acid, mustard, if using and 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season.

2. Toss in the carby ingredient and protein. Season.

3. Toss in the salad leaves and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

variations

acid – Sherry vinegar, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, red/white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar.

carby ingredient – butter beans, cannellini beans, borlotti beans, chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans. Pretty much any canned legume or home cooked ones, shaved raw vegetables, cooked noodles (as in the picture above), torn crusty bread (sourdough is especially good), cooked grains such as rice, quinoa or pasta.

less carby – replace the carby ingredient with extra leaves and protein.

cooked protein – canned tuna, salmon, sardines, nuts, cooked chicken, smoked chicken, BBQ chicken, salami, proscuitto, cold roast meats, avocado (not strictly protein but good), boiled eggs, smoked salmon, goats cheese, ricotta, cheddar, parmesan, cottage cheese.

salad leaves – pretty much any washed salad leaves, torn into bight sized pieces if large.

leftover potential?

OK but nicer when super fresh. Not something you should freeze.

problem solving guide

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.