Of all the words in the food kingdom, salad is the least sexy. That is just plain fact dear pals. If you had attempted to lure me in with, what I once imagined as, a sad assemblage of garnishes disguised as under-seasoned leaves one year ago, you'd have me running for the hills where hopefully a mountain of carb-heavy foods would be waiting sympathetically. But recently these feelings have not so much been extinguished, but wavered.
Maybe it's the subtle influence of the TikTok salad lab lady, or maybe it's the realisation that yes, you do need something to cut through the richness of steak, pasta, insert fat-leaning dish here. And once you open your eyes to the possibilities of the salad realm, you realise there is a flicker of sex to be found in the category after all.
Now I'm not here in my capacity as a salad evangelist, but there is a case to be made for a dish that spotlights the magic of seasonal ingredients that are seasoned lavishly and with flair, to be enjoyed simply. This should be the sole purpose of a salad. Second, of course, to the banal detail that we must every so often consume something green.
So in the spirit of trying something new, below we've rounded up 10 salad recipes that are anything but boring, and above all, delicious.
Fior di Latte, pea, broad bean and lemon salad
Sophia Roe's tomato salad with currants and serrano chilli oil
Radicchio and Walnut Salad
Ottolenghi's Cavolo nero with chorizo and preserved lemon
Miso Carrot and Mung Bean Salad
Alison Roman's Citrus and Endive with Walnut Gremolata
Indian Spiced Chicken Salad
Laila Gohar's Turkish Tomato Salad
Autumn Farro and Persimmon Salad
Samin Nosrat's Caesar Salad
For more recipes from the RUSSH Editors, here are our favourite meals that showcase the magic of beans, the abundance of spring, summer pasta recipes, and the easy dinner recipes to test out for those trying mid-week meals.
