Salad

Herb-flecked and crunchy, this easy salad makes a tasty, filling lunch or side dish.

Crouton comes from the French word croûte, which translates as crust ­hence these crunchy pieces of garlic bread soak up the sauce in this dish. Croûtons can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. Note

To open fresh coconut, pierce one of the eyes then roast coconut briefly in a very hot oven only until cracks appear in the shell. Cool the coconut, then break it apart and grate the flesh. Note

fish option Grill white fish cutlets. Cool; flake into pieces. Top rice salad with fish. Note

Try to use the freshest crab meat you can for this dish or very good quality canned crabmeat. To obtain ginger juice, squeeze grated fresh ginger into a sieve set over a bowl. A piece of ginger measuring about 2cm (¾ inch) in length will yield 2 teaspoons of grated ginger; this amount of grated […]

This salad takes the classic flavours of Provence and combines them to make an elegant and flavoursome starter that is still quite light. All the components can be made in advance and simply assembled when you are ready to serve.

A meal in its own right, this warm egg, potato and spinach salad with shards of crisp bacon makes a great lunch.

You can use a large barbecued chicken instead of the breast fillets, if you prefer; discard bones and skin, then shred meat coarsely before tossing with remaining salad ingredients. Note

Sharp feta and crisp pear make a fabulous combination with leaves, sprouts and walnuts in this sophisticated salad.

A healthy, light and delicious watermelon, raspberry and cranberry salad.

If you don’t have all the spices on hand, you can replace them with a chai black tea bag. Just strain the bag from the syrup after cooling for 15 minutes. Use blood oranges or plain grapefruit, if ruby grapefruit is unavailable. Discard the cinnamon stick before serving. Note

This incredibly simple summer garden salad with avocado and tomato is the perfect side dish for any lunch.

Prepare the cheese and salad on the morning of the picnic. Note

This colourful pasta salad is easy, delicious and great for the lunchbox.

An Asian-style spicy, sweet and sour green papaya salad topped with crunchy peanuts.

Tender lamb wrapped in banana leaf with a fresh and fragrant Thai salad.

Crunchy croutons and dill add bite to this luxurious smoked salmon salad.

You can use the oil from the artichokes in the dressing if you wish. You will need to purchase a large barbecued chicken weighing about 900g for this recipe. Note

This delicious roasted beetroot, broccoli and pearl barley salad is beautiful enjoyed warm with a creamy tahini dressing. It's the perfect example that healthy, vegetarian food can be delicious and filling!

A fresh and light Thai chicken noodle salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

the spices can be prepared several hours ahead. The recipe is best assembled close to serving Note

A fresh and bright apple and seed slaw with macadamia dressing; the perfect summer salad.

This quick and tasty Asian inspired salad makes a brilliant mid-week dinner or dish to entertain your guests.

The dark blue pigment of blueberries is full of antioxidants, which have been shown to lower cholesterol. They are sometimes referred to as “brain berries” because they may help with brain function. Note

This light garden salad of an exotic mix of herbs and crisp vegetables perfectly matches a hearty meal.

Colourful heirloom carrots, in hues of purple, taste the same as their orange cousins, and were in fact the norm until the Dutch developed the modern-day orange version in the 17th century. They taste and look fantastic in this stunning salad.

Fragrant lemongrass lamb with an exquisitely fresh Vietnamese vermicelli salad.

The evidence is in; tuna is excellent for your heart and brain function. Luckily it also tastes great, especially when accompanied by this wonderful basil pesto and smashed potatoes.

Chopped salad ingredients vary from recipe to recipe, the only common rule is that all the ingredients are `chopped’. You can also place all of the roughly chopped ingredients on a large chopping board and use a large knife to chop them all together. Note

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Refreshing and tasty, this salad would be excellent accompanied with grilled meat.

If you don't have aioli to hand when you're making this prosciutto-wrapped prawns with bean salad recipe, you can add a teaspoon of crushed garlic to good quality mayonnaise to make your own.

Creamy and punchy, this spinach and artichoke dip works wonderfully with crunchy Turkish toast for a moreish share platter addition.

Hazelnuts can be substituted for walnuts in this recipe, and, if you have hazelnut or walnut oil on hand, use one of these, rather than the olive oil. Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

This colourful, nutritious salad would be perfect served with grilled meat.

A perfect accompaniment to grilled meat or fish, this salad is full of lovely flavours and textures.

Warm and tender lamb fillets are dressed with a warm citrusy walnut dressing and served on a bed of crunchy witlof and baby spinach to make this delicious salad.

This delicious roast vegetable salad is scattered with tender risoni pasta and sweet currants to create a flavour-packed, filling vegetarian meal.

The salad and dressing can be prepared ahead and refrigerated separately. Combine just before serving Note

Studded with chickpeas and dressed with a lemony yoghurt hummus, rich with the sesame flavour of tahini, this spinach and zucchini salad is the yummiest way possible to boost your iron levels.

Risoni is a small rice-shaped pasta that can be served similarly to orzo or rice in salads and soups. This recipe is best made just before serving. Note

If you love prawns, you'll love this incredibly zesty prawn salad with a mint and lemon dressing.

Preserved lemons, a dominant ingredient in North African cooking, are salted lemons bottled for several months; the flavour is distinctively perfumed. To use, rinse well and discard flesh, using rind only. You need to purchase a large barbecued chicken for this recipe. Note

Served alongside some sliced barbecued duck, this zesty Asian salad is full of spice and packs a punch.

Did you know? Watercress is a wonderful vegetable full of vitamins A, C and E, and is very high in iron and folic acid. It’s a bit time-consuming to handle, as you need to pick off the sprigs, then wash and dry them carefully. We think it’s worth the effort, but you can use spinach […]

Spicy barbecued squid and cooling cucumber make a mouth-watering pair in this easy salad.

Fresh and tender Thai beef on a bed or noodle salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

This delicious salad is bursting with bright Spanish-inspired flavours.

Simple, healthy and packed with colour and flavour, this cauliflower and green olive salad is a tasty side dish, but also makes a great, light meal all by itself.

Healthy and delicious warm beetroot and lentil salad with pork sausages from Australian Women's Weekly.

You need only small quantities of pineapple and rockmelon, so buy the smallest fruit you can find. Two passionfruit will supply the right amount of pulp. Honey yoghurt can be made a day ahead; store, covered, in the refrigerator. Note

Tangy dijon chicken, baby spinach and tomato wrap from Australian Women's Weekly.

A healthy and flavourful vegetarian brown rice salad with chickpea, pepita and kumara-potato salad.

lime and mustard dressing We used the sun-dried tomatoes that have not been preserved in oil; they are generally sold in plastic bags or loose by weight. Note

You can cook the quinoa in stock for a boost in flavour. Note

Orange flower water is often used in Moroccan cooking for its cooling effect. In this salad, a teaspoon of fragrant orange flower water is used to sweeten the sharp taste of the radish. You can buy bottles of orange flower water at selected supermarkets, delicatessens and Middle-Eastern food stores. Note

Duck can be cooked up to 4 days ahead. Keep covered in oil in the refrigerator. Note

An exquisite witlof, fennel & zucchini salad with orange dressing from Australian Women's Weekly.

Slice avocado just before assembling the salad. You can substitute prawns or lobster for the balmain bugs, if you prefer. You can use opal basil leaves, instead of the sweet leaves, if preferred. Tomatoes can be browned on an oven tray under a grill or in a hot oven. This recipe can be made with […]

Fragrant and herbaceous Thai beef salad with a sweet, sour and spicy dressing.

A healthy and beautiful grilled veal and radicchio salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Serve as an aromatic side dish, or alongside other delicious nibbles as part of an antipasto platter.

Beans, tomato and red onion make the perfect bed for these tender, flaky fish fillets dressed with a cajun spice rub.

Warm, fragrant and delicious, this potato, prawn and scallop salad makes a great starter or lunch.

Sometimes a salad makes a perfect lunch, this spicy lamb salad with pita bread and chickpeas is ideal.

This deeply and appetisingly coloured Asian-style pork belly has a unique sweet and spicy flavour and melts in the mouth. The crunchy noodle salad is the perfect accompaniment.

Trout roasted with amchur and green mango salad; amchur powder is dried and ground green mango, commonly used in Indian cooking.

Tender lamb, al dente pasta and peppery rocket leaves make a fabulous pasta salad that is a meal in itself.

The salad can be made the night before; store, covered, in the fridge. To make the perfect hard-boiled eggs, place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, for 3½ minutes, drain. Shell eggs when cool enough to handle. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork […]

600g canned borlotti or cannellini beans can be substituted for the shelled borlotti beans; rinse and drain beans before adding for last 10 minutes of cooking. Recipe can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered; reheat or bring to room temperature before serving. Note

Pasta salad is best made on the morning it will be consumed. Note

Richly spiced and sweetly dressed, this Indochine chicken salad makes a great dish to serve up to friends for a weekend lunch.

Each takeaway barbecued chicken we used in this chapter weighed about 900g; when skinned and boned, this results in 3 cups (480g) of shredded meat, or 2½ cups (425g) of coarsely chopped meat. Note

The tortilla strips can be prepared a day ahead; cool and store in an airtight container. Note

Use fresh pineapple, if preferred. Note

Fresh and crunchy gado gado is an Indonesian speciality. You can add shredded cooked chicken and quartered hardboiled eggs to this salad if you like.

If you’re taking this salad to work, hold the lemon juice until you’re ready to eat. Otherwise, eat the salad while the beef is still warm. Note

Deliciously bright and colourful lentil, gorgonzola and witlof salad.