Niçoise salad, Caesar salad, Greek salad… Everyone has their own favorite salad. What we like about mixed salads is that they are perfect for a balanced meal, but above all they can be personalized according to tastes and seasons.
To compose the perfect salad, here are some tips first. The first and surely the most important, always choose seasonal ingredients, fruits or vegetables, to maximize the flavors and enjoy their benefits. Then, think about varying the textures: crunchy, creamy, cooked or raw, and the tastes, sour, sweet, bitter or even spicy. Of course, the right ingredients are essential, but don’t forget to season your salad well with a spicy, tangy, creamy and even sweet/salty vinaigrette. Be careful, do not season in advance at the risk of the vinaigrette cooking the ingredients and the salad, in particular, becoming too soft.
Recipe #1: Chickpea, pepper and feta salad
Nutritious and tasty, this vegetarian salad has it all. Chickpeas, rich in protein and fiber, are the base of this balanced dish and provide a slightly firm texture that contrasts perfectly with the creaminess of the feta.
How do we do it? Start by grilling 530 g of chickpeas and roasting 10 to 12 mini peppers in the oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cumin and drizzle generously with olive oil. Once cooked, let stand for a few minutes and cut about twenty cherry tomatoes, ¼ cucumber, ½ red onion and 100 g feta. Then mix all these ingredients with the grilled chickpeas and chop 3 sprigs of mint, 3 sprigs of basil and 2 stalks of spring onions. These herbs bring the taste and freshness characteristic of this recipe. Season the salad with the juice of a lemon, olive oil and a few lemon zests. Finally, add the peppers and it is finally ready to be enjoyed.
Discover our recipe for Chickpea, pepper and feta salad
Recipe #2: Panzanella with crispy bread and shrimp with oregano
This revisited version of Panzanella, a classic Tuscan salad made with stale bread, is ideal for those looking to give a boost to a traditional dish while maintaining its authenticity.
How do we do it? We start by cutting the raw vegetables, 5 tomatoes and 2 cucumbers, as well as 1 red onion. We cut 4 slices of country bread into small pieces that we brown in the pan with 2 tbsp. of basil-infused oil and 1 tsp. of dried oregano. We then move on to preparing the shrimp. In a very hot pan, we sauté 250 g of cooked peeled shrimp with 1 clove of garlic and 2 tbsp. of oregano for 3 minutes. Once the shrimp are cooked, we mix all the ingredients in a large salad bowl, add salt and pepper as well as 2 tbsp. of basil-infused oil and 1 tbsp. of white balsamic vinegar.
Discover our recipe for Panzanella with crispy bread and oregano shrimp
Recipe #3: Halloumi, tomato and cucumber salad
For me, this recipe embodies the essence of summer with fresh, quality ingredients, while still being filling enough for a balanced meal! For extra crunch, feel free to add a few nuts or sunflower seeds.
How do we do it? We take a 250 g block of halloumi. We make nice slices that we brown in the pan without fat until they are nice and crispy. We then cut 2 lettuce salads, 2 spring onions, 1 cucumber, 2 tomatoes as well as half a green pepper into small cubes, the other half into strips. We now tackle the preparation of the basil oil by mixing 4 basil leaves with 4 tbsp. of olive oil. We keep 4 whole leaves for the presentation. To finish, in a large salad bowl, we mix the vegetables and the grilled halloumi, we drizzle generously with flavored oil and we add the fresh basil.
Discover our recipe for Halloumi, tomato and cucumber salad
