Sometimes the simplest salads work the best. Too many ingredients in a salad can cloud the effect as all the flavors blend into each other. Here are a couple of simple but tasty salads that are sure to become family favorites.
I am a huge fan of fresh herbs in my salads, especially mint. I you’ve got it growing as we have I makes an inexpensive addition and gives a fresh taste that is hard to beat.
Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
Salad
8 ounces fresh green beans
Half large Lebanese or green cucumber, washed and diced
I large tomato, cut into wedges
2 ounces button mushrooms
Half red or yellow bell pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
1 cup low fat natural yoghurt
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint
Method
Top and tail and halve beans. Cook in boiling salted water till just tender. Do not overcook. Drain and cool.
Put beans into a bowl. Add cucumber, tomato, mushrooms and bell pepper.
Mix together dressing ingredients. Pour enough dressing over salad ingredients to moisten well.
Toss, chill and serve. Serves 4.
Often the best salads are made up on the spot from ingredients on hand. My family enjoyed this one.
Dale’s Salad
Ingredients
4 ounces cooked lamb cut into thin bite sized strips
lettuce torn into bite sized pieces
4 ounces snow pears cut into strips
15 ounce tin peaches in natural juice
Dressing
2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice (you can also use lime juice or a combination of both)
1 tablespoon peach juice
Half cup natural low fat yogurt.
Method
Put cooked lamb, lettuce pieces, and snow peas, into a bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour over the salad ingredients and mix through.
Garnish with springs of mint.
HINTIf your family likes a sweeter dressing simply cut back on the lemon juice and increase the peach juice.