Showing posts with label salad recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salad recipes. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Kiwi Tomato Feta Salad

A fresh twist on the classic tomato and feta combo, this kiwi tomato feta salad is bright, flavorful and delicious. 

Food Lust People Love: A fresh twist on the classic tomato and feta combo, this kiwi tomato feta salad is bright, flavorful and delicious.

If you know any New Zealanders, I can guarantee that they will correct you on calling our main ingredient here kiwi without its whole name, kiwi fruit because, of course, the kiwi is also their national bird. Recipes for kiwi? Horrifying. No one eats the flightless bird! At least no one does anymore. 

So, I debated with myself about the name of this recipe. Do I add the word fruit so search engines will know I’m not cooking a protected bird? But then, please forgive me, NZ friends, it occurred to me that most of the world has never even heard of the bird that gives you your nickname. Kiwi tomato feta salad it is! 

As a small aside, regarding the kiwi fruit, I’ve been reading online that you can actually eat the fuzzy peel but I’ll be honest, that really doesn't sound like a good idea to me. (I prefer nectarines to peaches because of the fuzz and peaches aren’t even sharp.) Some Reddit users claim they scrub or even shave the little hairs off to make the peel more palatable and more power to them. I’ll stick with peeling! For this salad, you do you. 

Kiwi Tomato Feta Salad

Since this recipe makes more dressing than you actually need, this salad is very easily doubled. Add a protein, like cooked salmon or chicken and, as is, it makes a lovely lunch for two. I added salmon to mine but since I put it on last, it covered up the lovely green kiwi fruit in those photos, our star ingredient. Without the protein, it's the perfect side salad. 

Ingredients
For the dressing:
1 green onion, divided
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder (like Colman’s)
Good pinch flakey sea salt
A few good grinds of black pepper, plus extra to finish the salad

For the salad:
3 ripe but firm kiwi fruit
1 ripe but firm tomato
1 oz or 28g feta cheese

Method
Slice the green part of the green onion and finely mince the white part. 


Put the white part in a small jar with the vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes then add the rest of the dressing ingredients. 


Give it all a good shake until fully mixed, then set aside. 


Peel and slice the kiwi. 


Core and cut the tomato in to small pieces. 


Lay the kiwi slices out single file on a plate. Scatter the tomato on the sliced kiwi. 


Crumble the feta and scatter it on the kiwi and tomato. 


Give the salad dressing another good shake and then pour or spoon some over the salad. You will not use it all and the rest of the jar can be stored in the refrigerator. Sprinkle on the green onion.  Give the whole thing another couple of grinds of black pepper to finish. 

Food Lust People Love: A fresh twist on the classic tomato and feta combo, this kiwi tomato feta salad is bright, flavorful and delicious.

Like all good tomato salads, this is best served at room temperature. My husband and I both loved the salad, agreeing that the kiwi was a great addition to the classic tomato feta combo. I don’t buy kiwi fruit very often but using it in this salad will certainly change that! 

Food Lust People Love: A fresh twist on the classic tomato and feta combo, this kiwi tomato feta salad is bright, flavorful and delicious.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 11th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2025, brought to you by the letter K. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the K recipes below:



Here are my posts for the 2025 alphabet challenge, thus far:

K. Kiwi Tomato Feta Salad – this post! 



Pin this Kiwi Tomato Feta Salad!

Food Lust People Love: A fresh twist on the classic tomato and feta combo, this kiwi tomato feta salad is bright, flavorful and delicious.
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Sunday, August 25, 2024

Caprese Prosciutto Salad

What is better than a classic Caprese salad? A Caprese Prosciutto Salad, with the addition of salty, savory ham! If you’ve been making it plain, time to level up.

Food Lust People Love:What is better than a classic Caprese salad? A Caprese Prosciutto Salad, with the addition of salty, savory ham! If you’ve been making it plain, time to level up.

I have soooo many pictures of almost this exact salad in my photo library because it’s one of our favorite things to make and eat, especially in the summer when the local tomatoes are ripe. But honestly, we make this all year round. 

Sometimes I don’t have prosciutto so I substitute either parma ham, speck or Serrano ham. They all add a welcome saltiness and flavor that goes perfectly with the ripe tomatoes and creamy fresh mozzarella. 

This summer, my basil plants have gone to flower so I’ve been adding a sprinkling of those as well. Basil flowers are pretty and so tasty! They are a great addition to just about any salad so when you are trimming and pruning, don’t just toss them out.
 


Caprese Prosciutto Salad

My typical fresh mozzarella ball weighs a little more than 1/4 lb or 125g if I’m shopping in the UK and 8 oz or 226g, if I’m in the US. In the case of the smaller ball, I use the whole thing for this salad. If you have a bigger ball, add a tomato, it’s all good. 

Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes
1 ball fresh mozzarella (see note above)
1-2 slices prosciutto
Fresh basil leaves
Optional, if you can find them, basil flowers
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Method
Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a platter. 


Slice the mozzarella and add one piece (or part of a piece) to top each tomato slice.


Cut the prosciutto into pieces and add one on top of each mozzarella. 


Top each piece of ham with a basil leave.  Season the salad with a few generous grinds of black pepper and a good drizzle with olive oil. 

Food Lust People Love:What is better than a classic Caprese salad? A Caprese Prosciutto Salad, with the addition of salty, savory ham! If you’ve been making it plain, time to level up.

And, if you have them, add a pretty sprinkle of basil flowers. 


This salad is best served at room temperature or just slightly chilled so if you make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator, take it out about half an hour before serving so it can warm up a bit. 

Food Lust People Love:What is better than a classic Caprese salad? A Caprese Prosciutto Salad, with the addition of salty, savory ham! If you’ve been making it plain, time to level up.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and since summer up here in the northern hemisphere, we are sharing salad recipes. Check out the links below. 

 
>We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Caprese Prosciutto Salad!

Food Lust People Love:What is better than a classic Caprese salad? A Caprese Prosciutto Salad, with the addition of salty, savory ham! If you’ve been making it plain, time to level up.

.

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Griddled Eggplant Salad

So simple, yet so delicious, this griddled eggplant salad is flavorful, garlicky and very much more than the sum of its few parts.

Food Lust People Love: So simple, yet so delicious, this griddled eggplant salad is flavorful, garlicky and very much more than the sum of its few parts.

If you’ve been reading this space for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about how much I hated eggplant as a child. The texture, the flavor (or lack thereof), the ugly inside color. None of it appealed. 

Until one summer when I was introduced to homemade eggplant parmigiana, my gateway dish to loving eggplant. Now I like it all the ways! I first saved this recipe back in 2004, scribbled in a notebook while watching Nigella Lawson make it on her show Nigella Bites. Later I transferred those notes to a Word doc but I never got around to making it. 

Yep, saved for 20 years, it resurfaced recently when I search my own computer for eggplant ahead of this Sunday FunDay event. I thought I might have a recipe already made that I could use but when this popped up, I figured it was a sign that I should finally make it. Why did I wait so long! It’s lovely. And so easy! 

Griddled Eggplant Salad

This recipe is adapted from one in Nigella Bites: From Family Meals to Elegant Dinners - Easy, Delectable Recipes for Any Occasion. Extra garlic oil should be stored in a clean jar in the refrigerator. It is excellent in salad dressings or homemade mayonnaise.

Ingredients
For the garlic oil:
1/2 cup or 120ml olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

For the salad:
1 medium eggplant
2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil, plus more to serve
2 green onions
Flakey sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon


Method
Slice the eggplant into circles and put them in a colander. Sprinkle the slices with salt and leave to sweat and drain for about 15-20 minutes. 


Meanwhile, finely slice the garlic and put it with the olive oil into a small pot. 


Gently heat the oil till it is warm then leave it to simmer gently for about five minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Strain out the garlic and put the oil in a clean jar to store. (I saved the garlic and added it to another dish and so should you.)


Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels and use more to dry with them. 


Place the garlic oil in a small bowl and brush it on the eggplant slices. Turn them over and brush the other side. 


Preheat the griddle or stove top grill pan and then place each eggplant slice onto the grill and press down gently. Do not crowd the pan. 


Cook about 3-4 minutes per side. 


I like to turn them so that I make hashed griddle marks. Remove the grilled eggplant slices to a platter and repeat until they are all cooked. 


Drizzle with more garlic oil. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside to cool to room temperature.


Sprinkle on the snipped green onions.
 

Enjoy! 

Food Lust People Love: So simple, yet so delicious, this griddled eggplant salad is flavorful, garlicky and very much more than the sum of its few parts.

As I mentioned above, it’s another Sunday FunDay! We are sharing recipes with eggplant, prolific in everyone’s garden this time of year. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. Check out the links below.

 
>We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.


Pin this Griddled Eggplant Salad! 

Food Lust People Love: So simple, yet so delicious, this griddled eggplant salad is flavorful, garlicky and very much more than the sum of its few parts.

 .

Sunday, August 4, 2024

Herby Peach Fig Feta Salad

Ripe summer peaches and sweet figs are the stars of this herby peach fig feta salad with the salty cheese and fresh herbs as fabulous counterpoints.

Food Lust People Love: Ripe summer peaches and sweet figs are the stars of this herby peach fig feta salad with the salty cheese and fresh herbs as fabulous counterpoints.

I’ve no doubt mentioned this before but when I was growing up, both of my grandmothers had immense fig trees in their backyards. I’d climb up high, get comfortable and snack till my heart’s content. So much warm, ripe fruit within my reach! Summertime’s best treat.

Now that we spend most summers in the Channel Islands, figs are much harder to come by. Occasionally my local grocery store will have a few imported packs at an exorbitant price and I will succumb to the temptation and buy them. 

Last week, I got lucky! The figs were marked down but still looked in perfect condition. I knew I had to add them to this delicious peach salad I had planned.

Herby Peach Fig Feta Salad

All of the above brings me to my point: If you don’t have fresh figs, you can make this salad with just peaches. Or nectarines. Or even sweet plums. I encourage you to buy feta in a block and crumble your own. Already crumbled feta is drier and, in my opinion, less flavorful. 

Ingredients
2 sprigs basil
2 green onions
4-5 sprigs cilantro
2 sprigs mint
1 small baby cos or little gem lettuce
2 ripe peaches
4-5 ripe figs
4 oz or 113g feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Remove and discard the hard stems from the basil, cilantro and mint. Roughly chop the leaves and tender stems.


Cut the lettuce into skinny wedges and arrange them on a serving plate.


Remove the pits and cut the peaches into wedges. 


Cut the hard stems off of the figs and quarter them.


In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey and a few good grinds of black pepper. 


Add in half of the crumbled feta and stir to combine. Put half of the chopped herbs into the dressing and stir again. 


Arrange the peaches and figs on the lettuce. 


Spoon over the dressing. 

Food Lust People Love: Ripe summer peaches and sweet figs are the stars of this herby peach fig feta salad with the salty cheese and fresh herbs as fabulous counterpoints.

Top with the rest of the herbs and feta, with another couple of generous grinds of black pepper. 

Food Lust People Love: Ripe summer peaches and sweet figs are the stars of this herby peach fig feta salad with the salty cheese and fresh herbs as fabulous counterpoints.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and in honor of National Peaches Month, we are sharing recipes with that fuzzy fruit. Many thanks to our hosts, Sue of Palatable Pastime and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the links below.


 
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.


Pin this Herby Peach Fig Feta Salad!

Food Lust People Love: Ripe summer peaches and sweet figs are the stars of this herby peach fig feta salad with the salty cheese and fresh herbs as fabulous counterpoints.

 .
 

Sunday, July 21, 2024

Sesame Cucumber Radish Salad

Fresh and spicy, this sesame cucumber radish salad is a great accompaniment to any pan-fried (or roasted) protein like chicken or fish. It’s light, flavorful and delicious. 

Food Lust People Love: Fresh and spicy, this sesame cucumber radish salad is a great accompaniment to any pan-fried (or roasted) protein like chicken or fish. It’s light, flavorful and delicious.

This summer the Channel Islands have been unseasonably cold and rainy so I’ve been looking for ways to add a little heat and freshness to our lives. This cucumber radish salad was the perfect side dish for pan-fried salmon with Asian flavors. A little soy, a little ginger and garlic. Perfection.

I can also attest that this salad is even tasty the next day. And still crunchy!  

Sesame Cucumber Radish Salad

Don’t get too caught up in the weight of the cucumber. A little more or less won’t matter. Same with the radishes. Want to add more, go for it! If you can’t find English/telegraph cucumbers, use regular ones but scoop the seeds out. This recipe is adapted from one on Budget Bytes.

Ingredients
1/4 cup or 60ml rice vinegar
1 small red chili pepper 
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 
1/2 English cucumber (about 7 oz or 200g)
4 radishes
2 green onions
Scant 1/4 cup or about 30g chopped peanuts

Method
Mince the chili pepper as finely as you can. Cut the roots off of the green onions and discard. Cut of the white parts and any harder, thick green parts and mince them. 


In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, chili pepper and the minced green onion parts. Set aside for five minutes. This tempers the pepper and onion while also infusing the vinegar with heat and flavor, making a more even distribution of the spice throughout the salad. 


Slice the cucumber and put it in a bowl.


Now whisk in the sugar, sesame oil, and salt into the vinegar. Set the dressing aside.


Slice the radishes thinly and add them to the cucumber bowl.


Slice the green parts of the onion snd set a small portion aside to garnish before serving. 

Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumbers and radishes. 


Add in the bigger pile of sliced green onions and stir to combine. 


Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to eat. Roughly chop the peanuts.


Give the salad a brief stir occasionally. The cucumber will release liquid. How much depends on how long your salad is refrigerated. If it’s a lot, I like to transfer the vegetables to a serving plate before adding the chopped peanuts.

Put the cucumbers and radishes on a serving plate. Spoon over the dressing, straining off most of the liquid but making sure to include the minced green onion and chili peppers. 


Top with the chopped peanuts and the sliced green onion parts. 

Food Lust People Love: Fresh and spicy, this sesame cucumber radish salad is a great accompaniment to any pan-fried (or roasted) protein like chicken or fish. It’s light, flavorful and delicious.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with cucumbers. Many thanks to our host Sue of Palatable Pastime. Check out all the links below. 

 
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.


Pin this Sesame Cucumber Radish Salad!

Food Lust People Love: Fresh and spicy, this sesame cucumber radish salad is a great accompaniment to any pan-fried (or roasted) protein like chicken or fish. It’s light, flavorful and delicious.

 .