TikTok’s crunchy Green Goddess salad has won over millions of people, and proved there’s absolutely no reason why salads should ever be bland or limp. Below, I’ve come up with three more easy recipes to make at home, all of which take less than 30 minutes and are both hearty and delicious. Happy chopping.
Italian-Style “Pizza” Salad
This is a pizza in salad form. You can swap out the salami for deli-style artichokes or cannellini beans to make it vegetarian, or sub in your other favourite pizza toppings, instead. Anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms… Get creative!
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the salad:
- A large handful of cherry tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes), chopped
- A small handful of peperoncini, chopped
- A large handful of olives, chopped
- 2 roasted Romano peppers (from a jar or homemade), chopped or torn
- A small bunch of fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 125g mozzarella, chopped (or a small handful of parmesan shavings)
- 50g salami, chopped
- Salt and pepper
For the croutons:
- A large handful of torn bread
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
- A pinch of chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. For the croutons, mix the olive oil, grated garlic, chilli flakes, dried oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over the torn bread, toss well to ensure each piece is coated, then bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and crisp, shaking halfway through.
In a bowl, toss the salad ingredients together (except for the basil), then pile onto a large serving platter. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Top with the croutons and basil, keeping the smaller leaves whole and tearing the larger ones into pieces. Enjoy!
Chicken & Avocado Salad
This is a great way to use up any leftover chicken after a Sunday roast. If you’re vegan, skip the meat and use grated carrots and/or shredded cabbage plus extra avocado and nuts. Any leftover dressing goes really well with stir-fried noodles and egg-fried rice.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 baby gem lettuces, chopped
- 1 medium cucumber, chopped
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 1 large ripe avocado, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of toasted black sesame seeds
- A small handful of chives, finely chopped
- 2 large handfuls of leftover shredded chicken
- 1 large handful of toasted and chopped cashews or almonds
- 1 large handful of coriander leaves
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons of tahini
- 1½ tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of maple syrup or coconut sugar
- 1½ teaspoons of toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic, finely grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together until combined. Add salt to taste. Slowly drizzle in 1 or 2 tablespoons of cold water, whisking as you go, until it’s the consistency of double cream.
Toss the chicken with the cucumber, baby gem, spring onions and avocado and half of the dressing. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to a large serving platter, top with the sesame seeds, chives, toasted nuts and coriander. Serve with the rest of the dressing on the side for everyone to help themselves.
Greek-Style Feta Salad
Everything is better with feta, in my opinion, but fried, chopped halloumi works brilliantly here as well. (UK-based readers should keep an eye out for “fettle”, a British version of feta that’s actually delicious.) Choose different varieties of good-quality tomatoes for this; it’s perfect when entertaining in the summer.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 200g feta, crumbled
- 300g tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium cucumber, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 2 big handfuls of olives, preferably Kalamata ones
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- A handful of fresh herbs like mint, parsley, and dill, chopped
For the potatoes:
- 3 medium potatoes (approximately 400g), chopped into 2cm cubes
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
For the dressing:
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- The juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- A pinch of dried oregano
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing after 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy at the edges.
Mix the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl and season to taste. Toss through all of the salad ingredients, except the feta. Spoon over the crispy potatoes and crumble over the feta, finishing with some extra herbs.
