Compiled by: Kate Liquorish. Recipes styled by: Leila Saffarian. Photographs: Dylan Swart. Article from the October 2013 issue of Food and Home Entertaining Magazine.

Knock a salad together? We think not.. There’s a fine art to creating a great salad and we’re always green with envy when someone else has the knack. We asked some chefs and food lovers to share their favourite salad recipes, drizzled with a few well-seasoned tips, of course.

Ricky Forleo, son of Franco Forleo, creator of the famous ‘Franco salad dressing’; Restauranteur at Franco’s Pizzeria.  

Franco s. 54 Tyrone Ave, Parkview

“My father’s first restaurant, La Pizza, was French-Italian, in the centre of Johannesburg. He and my grandmother created the perfect, well-balanced creamy dressing for his Nigoise salad. Over the years we’ve tried adding a few things here and there to continually improve the recipe but we are vigilant about making each batch by hand, through taste and feel. We have been serving and selling Franco’s dressing for over 30 years. My salad recipe represents my heritage: it’s a mix of Portuguese and Italian flavours passed down to me from both sides.”

Ricky’s top tip:

“Always refresh your lettuce in ice water to rejuvenate it. It gives it back its crispness.”

Chouriço and calamari salad

Serves 4  EASY 15 mins

The flavour combinations

100g calamari tubes, sliced or left

whole, rinsed and patted dry

15ml (1 tbsp) flour

5ml (1 tsp) paprika

salt and freshly ground black

pepper, to taste

50g chouriço, cut into 1cm slices

1 punnet salanova lettuce, rinsed and washed

1 red onion, thinly sliced

100g sun-dried Rosa tomatoes

100g large Kalamata olives

100g Danish feta, cubed

1 avocado, sliced lengthways

1 lemon, cut into wedges

15ml (1 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil

How to do it

1. Season the calamari in the flour, paprika and seasoning mixture.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over high heat and toss in the chouriço (frying it dry will render the fat, which holds the flavour).
3. When chouriço crisps up, add the caiamari tubes (add a drop of olive oil if you need to). Fry the calamari until opaque and browned, about 20 seconds on each side. Keep tossing the pan to ensure the calamari does not overcook. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Begin building the salad: start with lettuce, onion, tomatoes, add calamari and sausage, olives, feta and avocado.
5. Place two lemon wedges on top of the salad. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and add a squeeze of lemon juice according to your taste.

Janice Tripepi: Blogger, Restaurant Reviewer and Artist

janicetripepi.eo.za

“In desperate need of a holiday, my husband and I left Durban for Franschhoek to attend our first Bastille Day Festival. The fresh air and the beauty of the surroundings washed away our stress and fuelled our appetites. We found ourselves quaffing wonderful local wine while feasting on toe-curling food, including the best salad that I have eaten in ages.

Chef Neil Jewell is the executive head chef of Bread & Wine Vineyard Restaurant at Moreson and an absolute flavour wiz! He kindly gave me his salad recipe (my new favourite) to share.”

Janice top tip:

“Apart from well-balanced ingredients and texture, I am a stickler for a good dressing. As much time and effort as has been devoted to creating a beautiful salad should be spent on creating a well-balanced and flavour-enhancing dressing. A salad without a good dressing is like a Renoir with no frame!”

Roasted beetroot, whipped chèvre, walnut sable and watercress salad

Serves 4 EASY 20 mins

The flavour combinations

Walnut Sable

76g flour

44g toasted almonds + 25g extra

35g castor sugar

44g diced cold butter

25ml walnut oil

Whipped Chèvre

600ml cream

1 bay leaf

a generous pinch paprika

400g chèvre

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Beetroot dressing

1 medium beetroot, roasted and peeled

5ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard

6,25ml English mustard

50ml white wine vinegar

50ml sherry vinegar

175ml walnut oil

150ml olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To asseble

roasted baby beetroot wilted baby beetroot leaves salad of watercress and baby beetroot leaves

How to do it

1. For the walnut sable, preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Pulse the flour, 44g toasted almonds, castor sugar and butter in a processor until they come together.
3. Spread onto silicone and bake for 12 minutes.
4. Cool then pulse again in the processor, adding walnut oil and the extra 25g toasted walnuts.
5. For the whipped chev, bring the cream to a boil with the bay leaf and paprika. Pour over chèvre, stirring until smooth. Season to taste and refrigerate.
6. For the beetroot dressing, blitz together all of the dressing ingredients.
7. To assemble, place a smear of walnut paste on the plate, topped with a quenelle of chèvre, warmed roasted beets, wilted baby beet leaves and salad dressed with beetroot dressing.

Kristy Snell: Freelance Food stylist, Blogger, food photographer and recipe developer

Cood-monger.com

“I am a stickler for a good salad; but it has to be the right balance of textures, tastes and colours: tantalising for the eyes as well as the mouth. Luckily for me, I found one that ticked all the boxes just up the road at The Woodlands Eatery, in windy Vredehoek, Cape Town. It was created by Larry Steenkamp, who owns the restaurant with his wife. This is my version of the salad, but if you want to eat the real thing, pop over to Woodlands.”

Kristy’s top tip:

“Add texture to your salads with roasted nuts and seeds and by chopping ingredients in different ways: slicing, dicing, grating and ribbons add a variety of texture.”

Chilli lime prawn and avo salad

Serves 1 EASY 1 hr 15 mins

The flavour combination

Marinade:

1 small garlic clove

125ml (½ cup) fresh coriander

juice and zest of 1 lime

5ml (1 tsp) grated ginger

15ml (1 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil

1/2 green chilli, seeded

a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 pre-cooked prawns

Dressing

juice of 1 lime

1/2 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped

2,5ml (½ tsp) castor sugar

30ml (2 tbsp) olive or avocado oil

a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad

1 handful assorted baby leaves

1/2 avocado, cubed

60ml (¼ cup) feta, crumbled

5 baby Rosa tomatoes, halved

15ml (1 tbsp) spring onion, chopped

5ml (1 tsp) sesame seeds, toasted

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to do it

1. For the marinade, blitz together the garlic, coriander, lime juice and zest, ginger, olive oil, chilli and seasoning.
2. Pour over the prawns and marinate for 1 hour.
3. For the dressing, mix all of the ingredients together and set aside.
4. For the salad, add all the salad ingredients to a bowl and top with the marinated prawns. Drizzle over the dressing. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Gwynne Conlyn: Award-winning Lifestyle and Food Writer; Academy member of the world’s 50 top retaurants.

“The rich tapestry of my life includes a foray into the restaurant business. The Apple Bistro – in the countryside, tables under dappled light under huge trees – seemed like a great idea. Although very successful, things didn’t quite work out. However, I used to receive many recipe ideas from fans and I’m passionate about salads. Our diners loved them, especially this one, which was our piece de resistance.”

Gwynne’s top tips:

“People tend to err on the side of being too generous with salad leaves. I tend to use a few interesting ones as a ‘base’, then my other ingredients, then some micro leaves to pretty up the salad. Soak the onions in the dressing for a while to remove the ‘sting’. Or in water. Make delicious music by counterpointing different taste sensations in your salad, like salty, sweet and sour.”

Mouth-watering green salad

Serves 2 EASY 15 mins

The flavour combinations

250g French green beans

250g mange tout

250g green peas (fresh or frozen)

45ml (3 tbsp) olive or avocado oil

5ml (1 tsp) mustard seeds

5ml (1 tsp) coriander seeds, pounded in a pestle

and mortar

mixed micro leaves

1/2 red onion, finely sliced

zest of 1 lemon

15ml (1 tbsp) fresh tarragon, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped

1 fresh chilli, crushed and chopped

drained canneilini beans (optional)

tinned tuna (optional)

How to do it

1. Blanch French green beans for 4 minutes then plunge into ice water to refresh.
2. Do the same with the mange tout but only for 1 minute and then into the iced water.
3. Then do the same for the fresh or frozen green peas but just for 20 seconds (the water must be boiling) then into the iced water.
4. Dry the veggies and place in a large bowl.
5. Heat the oil in a pan, toss in mustard and coriander seeds. As soon as they ‘pop’, remove pan from heat and toss this oil and seed mixture over the beans and peas.
6. Gently mix in the baby leaves.
7. Toss in the onion, lemon zest, tarragon, garlic and chilli mixture.
8. Add beans and/or tuna if desired.

Thomas Hughes: Co-Owner and founder of The Griffin Craft Beer & Gastropub

thegriffin.co.za

“When I travelled around Southeast Asia in my early 20s, what had been a longstanding appreciation of its cuisine turned into an out-right obsession. The food has an ability to be bold and full-flavoured, without being heavy. My salad embodies everything I love about this region’s food, and is a celebration of the mastery in flavour symmetry that I experienced and tasted; the nam jim dressing is made from garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice and chilli, and is just the right balance of salty and sweet. The fresh tuna is rolled in sesame and lightly seared, served on a bed of mung bean sprouts, spring onion, shiitake mushroom and Asian greens, finished with coriander and mint. Fragrant, light and healthy, it bursts with flavour.”

Thomas’s top tips:

Ensure the ratio of salad leaves to filling is correct; do not be scared of a dressing with high acidity; always leave salad making to the last minute and make sure you use the freshest ingredients.

Seared tuna salad with sesame and shiitake mushrooms, Asian leaves and nam jim dressing

Serves 4 EASY 30 mins

The flavour combination

Tuna

4 x 150g tuna loins

50ml dark soya sauce

75ml sweet chilli sauce + extra, to serve

15ml (1 tbsp) light sesame oil

15ml (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, finely chopped

125ml (½ cup) white and black sesame seeds

Nam Jim dressing

5 red and green chillies, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1 small knob ginger, roughly chopped

5 stalks coriander, root and stem

100g palm sugar

45ml (3 tbsp) fish sauce

juice of 2 – 3 limes

Salad

8 spring onions, sliced thinly at an angle

handful fresh coriander leaves + extra, to serve

handful fresh mint leaves + extra, to serve

12 purple basil leaves

handful mung bean sprouts

4 handfuls mixed Asian leaves (mizuna, baby tatsoi and Chinese cabbage)

250g shiitake mushrooms

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to do it

1. Marinate the tuna portions in the soya sauce, sweet chilli sauce, sesame oil and ginger. Coat the tuna in the mixed sesame seeds and set aside.
2. For the dressing, combine the chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander in a pestle and mortar or blender until you have a rough paste. (Alternatively, chop as finely as possible.) Add the palm sugar in small amounts until dissolved. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste.
3. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing and plate in 4 large bowls.
4. Sauté the shiitake mushrooms gently and season with salt and pepper.
5. Scatter the mushrooms over the salad leaves.
6. Heat a non-stick pan to smoking hot and add a drop of oil. Sear the tuna lightly on each side. Remove from the pan and slice at an angle.
7. Place the tuna on top of the leaves and garnish with more coriander and mint leaves and a few drops of sweet chilli sauce.

Michael Olivier: Food and Wine commentator and broadcaster

michael.olivier.co.za

“I love salads but I do not like acidic salad dressings and I feel that canola, rice bran and sunflower oils are all great- ~ for salad dressings as they have a more neutral flavour. The salad I am sharing is testament to this ideology; the right balance of apple cider vinegar with the sunflower and olive oils gives the dressing a delicacy and sweetness that really complements the salad.”

Michael’s top tip:

Keep the vinegar to oil ratio low:

1 part vinegar to 3 – 4 parts oil.

Quinoa, sweet potato and apple salad

Serves 6 EASY 40 mins

The flavour combinations

500g sweet potatoes, diced

1 small red onion, very thinly shaved

extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of chilli flakes

sea salt and freshly ground black

pepper, to taste

125g quinoa

300ml boiling water

sunflower oil

2 Granny Smith apples, skin on, diced

2 packs mixed baby lettuce leaves

15g fresh flat-leaf parsley

30ml (2 tbsp) pine nuts, toasted

Salad dressing

15ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar

5ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard

30ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil

30ml (2 tbsp) sunflower oil

a drizzle of honey

a splash of soya sauce

sea salt and freshly ground black

pepper, to taste

How to do it

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Toss together the sweet potato and half the onion in a little olive oil, sprinkle over the chilli, season with sea salt and pepper, and toss again. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until starting to turn brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool.
3. Dry-toast the quinoa in a saucepan until just turning in colour and pour over boiling water, bring to a boil then simmer, covered, until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
4. Toss with a fork, cover with a tea towel and allow to cool.
5. Using a large bowl that will accommodate the whole salad, whisk together the vinegar and the mustard. Slowly beat in the oils and the remaining ingredients. Taste and season again if necessary.
6. Add the salad ingredients and the remaining onion and toss the salad gently to coat the leaves with the dressing. Garnish with the fresh parsley and toasted pine nuts.

Zodwa Kumalo-Valentine: Online Content Manager, Freelance Editor, Columnist and Not-so-Serious Blogger

“I had one of the best meals of my life at Nobu, at the One&Only – and also gained a salad recipe that has become part of my ‘special occasions’ repertoire. When I make it at home, I serve a slightly adapted version as an accompaniment to pan- roasted duck breasts. It’s such a treat!”

Zodwa’s top tip:

“I love salads that are simple and colour-driven. If I’m making a green salad, I stick to greens (lettuce, rocket and maybe mange tout) and throw in a bit of yellow (avo and baby corn). There’s nothing more overdone than a salad that’s trying to be everything at once. It simply ends up being a confusion of flavours and not at all memorable.”

Pancetta and baby spinach salad with miso dressing

Serves 2 EASY 15mins

The flavour combinations

2 large handfuls baby spinach

100g pancetta, diced

oil, for frying

a drizzle of truffle oil

40g Parmesan shavings

10ml (2 tsp) sesame seeds

Miso dressing

60ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar

170ml (2/3 cup) olive or avocado oil

30ml (2 tbsp) sesame seed oil

15ml (1 tbsp) honey

15ml (1 tbsp) soya sauce

1 piece ginger

1 garlic clove

How to do it

1. Wash a generous amount of baby spinach leaves.
2. Fry the pancetta until extra crispy.
3. To make the miso dressing, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and emulsified.
4. Pile the leaves on top of one another on a medium-sized plate, tossing pancetta in between and remembering to leave some for the final flourish. 5 Scatter remaining pancetta on top of the leaves, drizzle miso dressing over, add a little truffle oil and finish with shavings of Parmesan and sesame seeds.

Kate Liquorish: Actress, Writer and Blogger

undomestikated.blogspot.com

“When you have magnificent ingredients it’s easy to create something gorgeous; this is where the idea for a tomato carpaccio came from. You have to use the very best quality tomatoes; they should smell like tomato and earth, be bright red and ripe. If they are watery you should salt them in the same way you salt aubergines. Tomatoes, Parmesan, mint and a simple dressing. Heaven.”

Kate’s top tip::

“Adding fresh herbs to a salad is such an easy and fuss-free way to enhance it and take it from ordinary to extraordinary; mint and coriander are my favourite additions.”

Tomato carpaccio

Serves 4 EASY 20 mins

The flavour combinations

4 vine-ripened tomatoes

10 ripe and juicy cherry/rosa tomatoes of any colour

40g Parmesan, shaved

15 mint leaves

handful of baby rocket/microherbs

crusty fresh bread, to serve

Dressing

60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil

5ml (1 tsp) sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

a good grinding of salt and pepper

How to do it

1. Slice the tomatoes as thinly as you can and place on a large serving dish.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until emulsified and pour over the tomatoes.
3. Using a peeler, shave the Parmesan into slivers and scatter over the tomatoes.
4. Finish by scattering over the mint and rocket/microherbs.
5. Serve with chunks of bread or as an accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken.

Gianni Mariano: CEO Mastrantonio, Chef, Restauranteur, Raconteur

maslrajitonio.com 

“The best salad is one that you’ve picked from the garden yourself, cut the leaves and washed them with your own hands; you need to interact with the ingredients, dress the salad, give of yourself and indulge in the ritual.”

Gianni’s top tip:

“Choose lettuce that’s whole and unwashed over that which is pre-washed and packaged – it will taste better. That goes for any fresh ingredient.”

Artichoke and robiola salad with thyme dressing

Serves 2-3  EASY 15 mins

The flavour combinations

Dressing

100ml extra virgin cold

pressed olive oil

30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice

5ml (1 tsp) hot English mustard (preferably powdered)

15ml (1 tbsp) honey

a pinch of black pepper

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

a pinch of salt

1 head cos lettuce

1 handful rocket

1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 red onion, sliced

100g robiola (robiola must be fresh, not vacuum packed – but rather immersed in liquid, bought  from a deli or specialist store like Thrupps)

200g best quality tinned artichokes, quartered

1/2 ripe avocado, sliced

How to do it

1. Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and stir until emulsified.
2. Wash and cut lettuce, being careful not to bruise it. Place in a bowl with rocket. Mix in tomatoes and onion, and toss in dressing.
3. Top with robiola, artichokes and avocado, and drizzle over a little more of the dressing. 

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