I think salads have a bad reputation, which is somewhat unfair. So the aim of this chapter is to reinvent the way we think about them, throw off all the misconceptions and get everyone really excited about enjoying beautiful plates of goodness, because salads really can be the most delicious things in the world.
The word “salad” seems to fill most people with dread, as they imagine plates of iceberg lettuce with soggy cucumber and tomatoes: let’s be honest, no one wants to eat that. The number of times I’ve been to restaurants and they’ve offered me a plain green salad for dinner is crazy. A plate of green leaves just does not constitute a meal! I think this—coupled with the fact that there is a direct correlation between the words “diet” and “salad”—means very few people get genuinely excited about eating a salad, as they assume it will leave them hungry and uninspired. These feelings are totally justified if you don’t make a big, juicy salad that you really adore! It’s so important to truly love and enjoy your food, whether it’s salad or anything else, as enjoyment is the key to sustainability when it comes to healthy eating.
As I say time and time again, the Deliciously Ella way of eating isn’t about a diet, it’s about enjoying lots of nourishing, natural food that makes you look and feel your best. So, as we’re not trying to restrict ourselves, the kinds of salads you’ll see throughout this chapter are abundant, vibrant and hearty. Believe it or not, I actually find that good salads have more texture and flavor than almost any other dish. I know lots of you may read that sentence and think I am a crazy health freak (which I may be), but I think we’re also picturing different salads here. I’m thinking about a huge bowl of chili-roasted chickpeas, tender chunks of butternut squash, juicy sun-dried tomatoes and some peppery arugula all drizzled with a tangy turmeric and honey dressing; or a plate of cumin-infused wild rice, garlicky cabbage, sweet raisins and a date-based dressing. Both of these look—and, most importantly, taste—a little different from your average salad.
As you can tell by the descriptions of these two dishes, leaves don’t take precedence in my salads. In fact it’s the opposite. For me, the leaves are the least important part; the dominant flavor is in the dressing or the other ingredients. So I use salad leaves as a base to add green goodness, or leave them out in favor of a veggie, such as cucumber, or something heartier, such as wild rice or lentils. Lots of my recipes are leaf-free yet oh-so-delicious, from Middle Eastern–Inspired Salad to Simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad and Roasted Maple Sprouts. I think you’ll find, once you decrease the leaf ratio, you will have something more delicious, no matter what the other ingredients are!
You don’t have to omit leaves entirely. I include greens in lots of meals; they’re full of the vitamins and minerals that keep me feeling great. I’m just saying you don’t need to put all the emphasis on lettuce or other leaves; see them simply as one ingredient in a mélange of beautiful things, rather than the centerpiece. The salads in this chapter that do contain leaves tend to be a little lighter, so they’re great for the days when you’re not especially hungry, or want to serve salad as a side dish. For these days, we have recipes such as Wilted Spinach and Black Bean Salad; or Winter Kale Salad with a wonderfully creamy tahini dressing, sweet apple and grated beet; or Mango and Avocado Salsa.
The other core component of a salad is the dressing, which I think is the most important part. Dressings bring ingredients together, making each bite taste amazing. Simple olive oil dressings are great, but in just a minute we can create something far more exciting to spice up your plate: think creamy garlic and tahini; sesame oil and honey; spicy chili and tamari; or sweet almond and maple. I mean, how good do they all sound? Drizzle one of those amazing concoctions over your salad and it will instantly spring to life. (Keep the dressing in a small pot when you are packing up your salad for lunch and pour it over at the last minute for maximum deliciousness.) Each recipe comes with a different dressing, but all share ingredients that you can keep in stock so you always have them handy.
KEY DRESSING INGREDIENTS
Olive oil—the base of all my dressings. There’s a huge variety in the oils you can buy, both in taste and price. I buy organic extra virgin and like to spend a little more to buy a nicer bottle, as it adds so much flavor to a dressing. To save money, try keeping two bottles: a cheaper oil to use in cooking, as you don’t really taste it, and a more expensive one with a richer flavor for dressings and to drizzle over food.
Apple cider vinegar—a great alternative to balsamic vinegar as it is very alkalizing and amazing for digestive issues. I use it in a lot of salad dressings as it has a delicious tangy flavor that really livens them up. I normally use either vinegar or lemon/lime juice as the acid component, because the two together can be a little too tangy.
Honey/maple syrup—I sweeten dressings with these. A little goes a long way, as the sweetness shouldn’t be overpowering, just a teaspoon or so. If you’re trying to avoid sweeteners, leave them out and the dressing will still be delicious. If you’re vegan, swap the honey for maple syrup. I buy raw honey as it has more health benefits and a stronger, more delicious flavor, but any will work. With maple syrup, check you’re buying a pure syrup, as supermarkets can sell syrups that are only ten percent maple and as much as ninety percent additives and flavorings!
Garlic—I never used to eat garlic as it didn’t agree with my stomach, but over the last few years I’ve slowly reintroduced it and now my body loves it, which is such a blessing as it’s so delicious! Garlic adds so much great flavor to a dressing. I normally add it raw as I love how strong and almost hot the flavor is, plus it has amazing heath benefits; but you can add roasted garlic instead, which has a much mellower flavor.
Herbs and spices—essential in most dressings and for just about everything else. In dressings, I especially love chili flakes . . .
Lemon or lime juice—the easiest way to freshen up a salad. The citrusy flavors complement all the other ingredients here (except the vinegar), so you can add them to any combination. Lime is sweeter than lemon and normally has a weaker flavor, so I use it when I want a citrus flavor to blend into the dressing, and I choose lemon when I want the taste to stand out.
Sesame oil—my new favorite way to add flavor to just about everything. It’s wonderful in dressings. It has a subtle flavor that’s hard to pinpoint, but really adds something magical!
Tamari—one of the best ingredients for salad dressings as it makes them so rich, which means each bite bursts with flavor. Tamari has quite a salty taste, so you won’t need to add much salt to a dressing if it includes tamari. If you don’t have any tamari at home you can use soy sauce instead as they’re pretty much the same; tamari is just usually gluten-free (though check the bottle) and normally has no additives or sugar.
Tahini and almond butter—both work wonders in a dressing, giving a creamy texture. Almond butter is a lot nuttier than tahini and tahini is slightly more bitter, but neither flavor is overpowering and they’re primarily used for their textures, so are pretty interchangeable in dressings. If you have a nut allergy, use tahini instead.
SHOPPING LIST
ALMOND BUTTER
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
ARUGULA
AVOCADOS
BASIL
BEETS
BLACK BEANS
BUCKWHEAT NOODLES
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
CILANTRO
CUCUMBER
GARLIC
GREEN BEANS
HONEY
LEMONS
LIMES
MANGOES
MAPLE SYRUP
MINT
OLIVE OIL
PEPPERS
POMEGRANATES
RAISINS
RED CABBAGE
SESAME OIL
SWEET POTATOES
TAHINI
TAMARI
WILD RICE