Five salads that don't need lettuce
Today our suggestion is five recipes that don't need lettuce to give a twist to the traditional dish.
Now that the nice weather is here, salads are once again the star dish for any occasion. They are light, fresh and delicious.
Today our suggestion is five recipes with different bases that will be the star of your dish. Although we love lettuce, there are many versatile food with which to innovate and let yourself be surprised.
Five bases for your salads
Rice / quinoa base
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A basic salad you can make in a pinch with ingredients you may have at home: mix the rice, once it has cooled down, with canned tuna or mackerel, a hard-boiled egg and cherry tomatoes. If you want to explore further, add capers, pickled onions and black olives. Dress with oil and a few drops of lemon, and enjoy!
Pasta base
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This recipe is a more gourmet version of traditional pasta salad. The stars of the dish are a winning trio: pears, cheese and walnuts. As for the type of cheese, you can choose between blue cheese, Parmesan, goat's cheese or whatever cheese you fancy. Dress with olive oil, Modena vinegar and a spot of honey.
Lentil base
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A light and fresh salad: serve the lentils with bulgur, red onion, fresh coriander and tomato, and dress with lemon and tahini sauce.
Green bean base
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Mix the beans with previously boiled potatoes and add diced ham or bacon, onion and a hard-boiled egg. Chill and dress with olive oil, salt and pepper. Very simple, but full of flavour.
Tomato base
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For this salad, which is quite a homage to tomatoes, you will need a range of different varieties. We suggest that you to combine your favourite types, such as plum tomatoes, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, green tomatoes, Raf tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes and Kumato tomatoes. Serve with Italian buffalo mozzarella and basil, and dress with olive oil.
The secret lies in a good dressing
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The combinations are endless when it comes to making salads. Mix the different bases with your favourite ingredients and create your own recipes. We'll share a secret: the success of any salad is a great dressing. Here are a few that will never let you down:
- Classic vinaigrette: oil, vinegar, salt and pepper
- Lemon and honey
- Honey and mustard
- Yoghourt and dill
- Tahini and lemon
- Tartar sauce
Ultimately, although salads have always been associated with lettuce, there are plenty of other options to use as a base. Combine your favourite ingredients and don't forget to use a good dressing to enhance the flavour this summer.
