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The blooming season of colour is finally here, and we know you were looking forward to it way more than usual this year with everything that has been happening in our everyday lives. Everyone is ready to embrace the sunshine, and warm weather and along with that comes the light seasonal foods that we love such as salads. So here are some seasonal salads to enjoy for brunch, light lunches and sunset picnics.

1. Taco Salad

Mexican foods are not as popular in South Africa as they are in countries closer to the capital of Salsa but that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy their amazing food.

Ingredients:

• 500g deboned and skinned chicken thighs marinated in salt, pepper and barbeque sauce
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 head of butter lettuce lightly hand shredded
• Shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese – as much as you prefer
• 250 ml Sour cream
• 2 pitted diced tomatoes
• 200g cubed avocado or guacamole
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4 finely chopped chives springs

Method:

• Pour the oil in a saucepan over medium high heat and add the garlic. Sauté for two minutes and add the chicken thighs
• Allow to fry for 15 to 20 minutes turning frequently while slowly adding the leftover marinade until the chicken is nice and saucy
• Once the chicken is cooked, used 2 forks to shred it
• Fill half a bowl with lettuce and avocado/guacamole
• Add the shredded chicken, and layer the tomatoes and shredded cheese over that
• Add 4 dollops of sour cream and sprinkle the chopped chives over top
• Serve and enjoy

2. Caesar salad

The best part of a Caesar salad is the undeniably satisfying crunch of a crouton amongst the crispy fresh salad greens. Garden salads are great as a side dish with meals or as a part of a cheese board for picnics.

Ingredients for the Caesar Salad:

• 8 cups romaine lettuce hearts, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, cut into ribbons
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the Caesar dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp mashed anchovies (or anchovy paste)
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1/4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Ingredients for the garlic croutons:

• 4 cups bread cubes, cut into 2cm squares (from a sturdy bread like sourdough)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method for the Caesar salad:

• Chop or tear the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with 1/3 cup of the Caesar dressing and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle with half of the grated Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the croutons and toss again.
• Top with the rest of the grated Parmesan, Parmesan ribbons, and more croutons as desired. Season with kosher salt and pepper and serve.

Method for the Caesar dressing:

• Add all of the ingredients to a small glass canning jar with a fitted lid and shake well to combine. Or, add to a medium size bowl and whisk to combine.

Method for the garlic croutons:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden and becomes fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic, or it will taste bitter. Strain or pick the garlic cloves out of the oil and discard or save for another use.
• Drizzle the oil over the bread cubes and toss to coat. Scatter onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread cubes are golden, flipping the cubes occasionally.
• Remove from the oven and add back to the bowl. Toss with the parsley and salt and pepper and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

3. Fruit salad

Whether you are having breakfast on the go or in the mood for something sweet to eat, you cannot go wrong with a fruit salad with all your favourite spring fruit.

Ingredients:

• Paw-paw
• Watermelon
• Mango
• Mellon
• Cantaloupe
• Plain yogurt

Method:

• Simply skin and chop up all the fruit into 2cm sized cubes, serve into a bowl, top with yogurt and munch away.

4. Strawberry salad

Nothing like add in some fruit into a salad to give it that fresh taste and add a touch of sweetness to your pallet.

Ingredients for the salad:

• 6 cups spring salad mix
• 1 cup strawberries sliced
• 1 cup red grapes halved
• 1/2 cup plain walnuts, chopped
• 2 Tbsp dried cranberries chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp ground salt

Method for the strawberry salad:

• In a large, salad bowl, combine spring mix, strawberries, grapes, candied walnuts, cranberries, and feta cheese.

Method for lemon Dijon mustard vinaigrette

• In another bowl or jar, combine olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon musturd, and salt; whisk or shake until thoroughly combined; chill until ready to toss with salad just before serving.

5. Homemade sushi salad

Most of us wouldn’t even think of making sushi at home. When the craving hits, we’d rather go to our favourite sushi restaurant and leave it to the professionals… Unfortunately dining out can still be a bit tricky with the lockdown restrictions in place, so here’s an easy way to enjoy sushi at home without all the rolling that is usually involved.

Ingredients for the salad:

• 100g sushi rice
• 50g frozen edamame beans
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 sheet nori, torn
• handful pomegranate seeds
• 50g smoked salmon, cut into bite-sized slices
• 1 small avocado, stoned, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• Pickled sliced ginger, to serve (optional)

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Method:

• Rinse the sushi rice well and put in a small saucepan covered with 200ml cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.
• Remove from the heat and keep the lid on for 15 minutes before transferring to a serving bowl.
• In the meantime, pour boiling water over the edamame and leave to defrost until the rice is cooked. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients, then set aside.
• Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick pan and add the nori. Cook for 1-2 minutes on a medium heat until crisp.
• To assemble the salad, drain the edamame, then tip onto the rice along with the pomegranate seeds and salmon.
• Fan out the avocado slices on top and sprinkle over the black sesame seeds. Drizzle over the dressing and top with slices of sushi ginger, if you like.
• Enjoy