6 summer main-course salads


Terry Farris celebrates the summer season – or at least the long, light evenings – with six fabulous main course salads. Mix and match them for a dinner party, or downsize them for a working lunch

Summer, at last, and time to start thinking light and fresh. Salads are the perfect answer to an ‘al fresco’ meal in the garden, a buffet for casual entertaining, even a handy packed lunch. And since many salads improve over a day or two, you can make them in advance and keep in the fridge for grazing and last-minute side dishes.

Recipes:

Mix and match

  • For a hearty buffet for meat-eaters, serve the Thai Beef and Chicken Tarragon with warmed baguettes and a bowl of fresh fruit.
  • For vegetarians, use the Marinated Mediterranean Vegetables as a main course, backed up with the Potato and Baby Spinach Salad made with apple instead of bacon. Serve with toasted pita bread and a bowl of hummus. Finish with a continental cheese board, fresh strawberries and Californian dates.

Need some dressing ideas? Our Cooking Coach shares her favourites.

Thai Beef Salad
Serves 4

450g beef fillet
scant oil for frying
bag of fancy salad leaves, about 125g–150g
4 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal

For the dressing
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated root ginger
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
2 red or green chillies, sliced into rings and deseeded
1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp freshly chopped mint leaves
coriander and mint sprigs to garnish

  1. Heat a film of oil in a small frying pan and fry the fillet for 4–5 minutes each side until it is well browned on the outside and medium rare in the middle.
  2. Cook for slightly longer if you prefer it well done. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
  3. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well.
  4. Slice the beef into thin strips and pour over half of the dressing.
  5. Toss the leaves in the rest of the dressing and arrange on individual plates. Lay the strips of beef on top, sprinkle over the sliced spring onions and garnish with extra herb sprigs.
  6. Serve with a cucumber ribbon salad made by slicing a cucumber lengthways with a potato peeler into long, wide strips.
  7. Drizzle with a little extra lime juice, salt and black pepper.

New Potato and Baby Spinach Salad
Serves 4

750g baby new potatoes
125g fine green beans, trimmed and cut in half
4 strips unsmoked streaky bacon (leave out for a vegetarian version)
bag of baby spinach leaves, about 225g
handful of croutons, homemade or store bought

For the Dressing
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
½ tsp French mustard
1 shallot, peeled and cut in half
salt and pepper
pinch of sugar

  1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes until just done, about 8 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, place all the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well.
  2. When the potatoes are done, drain and rinse quickly under cold water. Cut in half, place in a bowl and pour over half the dressing. Refill the pan and when the water is boiling, cook the green beans for 4-5 minutes until cooked but still firm to the bite. Drain and immediately refresh under cold running water. This stops the cooking and will keep the colour bright green. (If cooked with the potatoes, they will discolour and go grey.)
  3. Meanwhile, chop the bacon, if using, in 2cm pieces and fry until slightly crisp. Pat off excess oil on kitchen paper.
  4. To serve, toss the baby spinach leaves and green beans in the rest of the dressing, removing the shallot, and lay the potatoes on top. Scatter over the bacon, if using, and croutons.
  5. For a vegetarian version, leave out the bacon and substitute sliced apple instead. Replace the croutons with crusty French bread and unsalted butter.

Avocado and Prawn Salad
This makes an excellent starter – the dressing and prawns can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge. Slice the avocados at the last minute as they tend to discolour if prepared too far in advance.

Serves 4

2 ripe, but not too soft, avocados
200g fresh cooked prawns, shell on, if possible
100g wild rocket
lemon juice

For the dressing
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 small shallot, finely chopped
3–4 drops Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

  1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Halve the avocado and remove the stone. Cut the halves in half again and carefully remove the skin. Slice the avocado into long slivers, lay on a plate and squeeze over the lemon juice.
  3. Peel the prawns, leaving eight or so with their tails on.
  4. Divide the rocket between four plates and drizzle with more lemon juice. Arrange the avocados and prawns on top, garnishing each with the tails-on prawns.
  5. Place a dollop of dressing in the centre of the salad or hand around separately in a small bowl.

Taco Salad
Serves 2 as a hearty main course

2 x large flour tortilla ‘wraps’
1–2 tsp light oil
400g lean minced beef
1 x packet Taco Seasoning Mix (Old El Paso in the Mexican section of supermarkets)
1 x 300g-400g can of beans (pinto, kidney or borlotti), drained and rinsed
100g grated Cheddar
¼ head of iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
142ml soured cream
1 avocado
2 ripe tomatoes
fresh lime juice
salt and black pepper

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
  2. You will need one or two brioche tins or any medium size glass or metal bowl with a flat bottom that can go in the oven. Mould the flour tortillas to fit inside the curves of the tins or bowls. The idea is to make a bowl out of the tortilla which will hold the salad ingredients.
  3. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until the shells are crisp and golden. Carefully remove from the tin.
  4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the beef until well browned, stirring to break it up. Add the taco seasoning and 100ml water and bring to the boil. Add the beans, stir and simmer for 7–8 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
  5. Remove the stone from the avocado, peel and cut into dice. Remove and discard the seeds from the tomatoes, finely chop the flesh and combine with the avocado. Squeeze over some lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
  6. To build the taco salad, fill each shell with half the beef and bean mixture, the grated Cheddar and spread over some of the shredded lettuce. Add a large dollop of soured cream and top with the avocado and tomato.
  7. Serve with tortilla chips and bowls of Mexican salsa and guacamole for dipping and bottles of ice cold Mexican beer with lime slices.

Chicken Tarragon with Red Grapes and Walnuts
Serves 4 as a main course salad

4 x boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached (or use about 450g leftover roast chicken)
175g seedless red grapes
100g toasted walnut halves
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
142ml soured cream (or use half-fat crème fraiche)
75ml (5 tbsp) mayonnaise
salt and black pepper

  1. Shred or chop the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.
  2. Cut the grapes in half lengthways and combine with the chicken and toasted walnuts.
  3. Place the chopped tarragon in a very small dish or cup and add about 1 tsp boiling water. This really releases the full flavour of the herb.
  4. Combine the soured cream or crème fraiche, the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and wet tarragon.
  5. Fold the dressing into the chicken mixture and chill until ready to serve. Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  6. Serve with crusty French bread (or halve the bread and make a baguette sandwich for a meal on the go).

Marinated Mediterranean Salad
Serves 4 as a main course (6 as a side salad)

3 medium courgettes
1 aubergine
4 large, ripe tomatoes
1 red onion
1 x can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
about 15 large, good quality olives
150g feta cheese
flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

For the marinade:
100ml lemon juice
250ml extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano (or use herbes de Provence)
salt and black pepper

  1. Cut the courgettes and aubergine into 2.5cm chunks.
  2. Quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds and cut each quarter in half lengthways, giving you 8 long slivers per tomato.
  3. Slice the red onion into rings and cut the artichoke hearts in half.
  4. Mix together the marinade ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Chill for at least 1 hour, gently stirring 2–3 times to coat all the vegetables.
  5. Spoon into a large, colourful serving bowl. Scatter over the olives, crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with parsley.
  6. Serve with toasted pita bread, cut into diagonal pieces and bowls of hummus and taramasalata.