With this noticeable change, my palate flicks like a switch from slow cooks and soups to salads, tacos, tarts and roasted cuts of meat.
However, realistically early spring is always a funny time where we live in the world. The new season’s vegetables do not often come on until October/November which can make the time between now and then seem like forever. This is where we switch up a gear, using the ingredients we do have available, but looking at them through a different lens. Transform steamed veges to shaved salads, stirfrys to noodle salads, trays of roasties to beetroot and grain salads with all the salad trimmings.
I have been making these salads weekly to serve as the main staple of dinner, only requiring a side of protein to complete the meal or whipping up in advance for easy grab-and-go lunches. All salads will store well for a few days in the fridge, making life so much easier.
If you are struggling to add greens to your plate other than stemmed broccoli then try this Spring Chop Chop Salad is a life-saver. Try adding to your scrambled eggs in the morning; or your roast chicken and veges in the evening. If you do not know what to have for lunch, how about chop chop salad, soft boiled eggs and a chunk of smoked salmon. Make a big batch and add it to everything with ease.
Noodles, need I say more. Give me satay, noodles and greens and I am sold. This is a lighter version of a satay stir-fry, with less sugar and oil, and more greens and good ingredients. It ticks the box for satay lovers and leaves you feeling just as good.
Balsamic roasted beetroot has been a staple in my kitchen for years. It is almost the only way I cook beetroot now. The balsamic and brown sugar create a welcome subtle sweet and sour addition to this earthy root vegetable. This combination often sways the beetroot doubters and turns heads at a dinner party.
Combining the beetroot with grains, textures, fresh herbs and a good yoghurt sauce, we have a dynamic salad that steals the show and fills the plate (and tummy). A true hearty salad, yes, hearty and salad in the same sentence is possible. This salad works wonderfully with slow roast lamb, barbecued chicken, pan-fried salmon or grilled haloumi.
Balsamic beetroot and bulgur wheat salad with tahini yoghurt & sticky onions
SERVES 6-8
Gluten-free option: Swap bulgur wheat for quinoa or 1-2 cans of lentils.
Note: The balsamic beetroot, bulgur wheat, sticky onions and tahini yoghurt can be pre-prepared up to 2 days ahead. So mixing this salad on the day can be super fast.
3 large beetroot (700g), washed, peeled, and cut into 4cm chunks
5 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
1 cup bulgur wheat, rinsed and drained
1½ cup water
3 handfuls of salad greens
1 handful of parsley or mint, roughly chopped
2 handfuls of toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup plain yoghurt
3 Tbsp hulled tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper to taste.
Sticky onions
1 large red onion, very thinly sliced
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Salad dressing
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
Pinch of sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Using a large roasting dish, toss together the chopped beetroot with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, honey/brown sugar and a good pinch of salt. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the roasting dish from the oven, remove the aluminium foil, toss the beetroot and cook for another 20-30 minutes uncovered. Once cooked, remove from the oven and set beetroot aside to cool.
To make the sticky onions, heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Saute sliced red onion with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a good punch of sea salt for 10 minutes, stirring often so the onions cook evenly and do not burn. Now add the apple cider vinegar and maple syrup while stirring onions for a further 1 minute until they become sticky. Set aside to cool.
To cook the bulgur wheat, place bulgur wheat, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a good pinch of salt and 1½ cups of water in a small pot. Bring the pot to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover with a pot lid and cook for 10-12 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with a tea towel for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork and set aside to cool.
Using a small jar, combine all of the dressing ingredients, secure the lid tightly, and shake very well to combine.
To make the tahini yoghurt, mix together yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt in a small bowl.
Once all cooked ingredients are cool, combine the following in a large mixing bowl — bulgur wheat, chopped almonds, parsley/mint, salad greens and dressing. Now add in the balsamic beetroot, and gently toss to combine, but not too much for the beetroot to bleed.
Place half of the salad on a large serving plate, dollop half of the tahini yoghurt and scatter half of the sticky onions over the salad and repeat another layer with the remaining salad, tahini yoghurt and sticky onions. Garnish with extra herbs if you have them and serve.
Peanut satay noodle salad
(with cucumber and green beans)
SERVES 4-6
Dairy-free
150g egg noodles (about 2 cakes of noodles)
100g green beans, ends removed
1 cucumber
3 spring onions, ends removed
½ cup toasted peanuts or cashew nuts
A handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
Satay dressing
2 heaped Tbsp crunchy peanut butter
2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice (½ lime)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp chilli sauce, e.g. Sriracha
2 tsp rice vinegar
3cm piece ginger, finely grated with a zester or the fine side of a cheese grater
1 clove garlic, finely grated with a zester or the fine side of a cheese grater
1-2 Tbsp hot water
Method
Place a medium-sized pot, half full of tap water over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cook the egg noodles following the packet instructions. In the remaining 3 minutes of cooking time, add the green beans. Drain egg noodles and green beans through a sieve and run cold water over them until they are cold.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a whisk.
Add the cooked noodles and green beans to the satay sauce.
Slice cucumber in quarters lengthways to have 4 long strips, and then roughly chop these on an angle into 2cm slices. Add to noodles.
Slice spring onions finely from the white end up, using ¾ of the spring onion and discard the remainder of the green tops. Add to noodles.
Add coriander leaves and half of the peanuts/cashew nuts to the noodle salad.
Toss the salad together with tongs until the sauce coats the whole salad.
Serve the salad on a medium-sized plate and garnish with the remainder of the nuts and a few extra coriander leaves.
This salad will keep for 2 days in the fridge.
Spring chop chop salad
Gluten-free, dairy-free (optional)
Salad
½ cup mixed seeds or chopped nuts
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 broccoli
1 small fennel bulb
1 apple
150g fresh green beans
150g frozen baby peas
1 bunch spring onion
80g cow or goat feta, crumbled
Dressing
Juice of ½ large lemon
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of sea salt
Method
Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add mixed seeds and olive oil. Shake and stir the seeds constantly as they toast until they start to go golden in colour, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a small jar, combine all of the dressing ingredients, secure the lid tightly, and shake very well to combine.
Using a mandolin on a fine slice, or a large sharp knife, finely shred broccoli and fennel, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Change mandolin to a medium grate (match stick size) or use a hand grater and grate the apple and add to the broccoli.
Cut the ends off the green beans, then chop them into 2cm lengths, and add to the salad bowl.
Place frozen peas in a medium-sized bowl, pour boiling water over the peas, allow to defrost for 20 seconds before draining through a sieve, shake all water off completely, and add to the salad.
Finely slice the spring onion and add to the salad along with toasted seeds and feta. Mix the salad before adding the dressing and giving one last mix through.
Serve with your choice of protein and extra sides.
Note: This salad will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge, so you can use it as you please for work lunches, easy greens with dinner, you name it. If you want to keep it for this long then just add 2 tablespoons of dressing to the salad (instead of the entire amount) and reserve the remainder to add fresh daily.
This will keep the salad fresher for longer, but you need to add that little bit as the lemon juice will stop the apple from browning.
