How to make salads more stylish and healthy with these recipes

Dishes that elevate the humble salad to a show-stopping main course

Baby lettuce with chicken, raspberry and walnut oil vinaigrette and Parmesan tuiles

Serves 4

Delicate parmesan tuiles make any bowl of lettuce instantly more glamorous. They sound complicated but they are simply grated parmesan baked into a lacy wafer. The dressing is also key; the mixture of balsamic and raspberry vinegars and nut oil makes a top-shelf vinaigrette.

50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless chicken breasts with skin on
4 large handfuls of mesclun (mixed young lettuce leaves), about 100g total weight
​200g raspberries
4 spring onions, white part only, thinly sliced
4 tbsp raspberry vinegar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp walnut or hazelnut oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
50g walnut halves
2 tbsp clear honey
½ tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. It’s very important that the paper is silicone treated or non-stick as the parmesan tuiles can be difficult to remove from ordinary parchment baking paper.

To make the parmesan tuiles, sprinkle the cheese into 8x8cm rounds. Keep them flat and not too thick in the middle. Bake for 6–7 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Leave to cool on the sheet.

Meanwhile, make the caramelised walnuts. Toss the walnuts with the other ingredients on a separate baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Transfer to a non-stick baking paper and leave to crisp up.

Heat the oil in a small ovenproof frying pan. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn over and sear on the other side. Place the chicken in the preheated oven to finish off cooking for another 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into thick pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, make the raspberry and walnut oil vinaigrette. Put all the ingredients in a screw-top jar, season with salt and pepper and shake well, then set aside.

Place the lettuce leaves on individual plates or a large platter and arrange the raspberries, spring onions, chicken and caramelised walnuts on top. Pour the dressing over and top each plate with 2 parmesan tuiles.

The dressing can be prepared the day before and refrigerated. The nuts and parmesan tuiles can also be made a day ahead and stored in airtight containers.

Caponata

Sicilians are geniuses with aubergines, using them in practically everything. Caponata is like ratatouille, but a lush Italian version. Serve it warm or at room temperature with ricotta toasts.

Serves 4

3 aubergines, cut into 3cm pieces
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1cm pieces
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into 1cm pieces
6 celery sticks, cut into 1cm pieces
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
15 green olives, pitted
2 tbsp caster sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 anchovy, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
​500ml passata
100g fresh ricotta cheese, drained
8 slices of bread, such as focaccia, toasted

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the aubergines on a large baking sheet, drizzle 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over them, sprinkle with a liberal amount of salt and pepper and mix well. Roast for 20 minutes, or until golden brown, shaking the baking sheet occasionally to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Meanwhile make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the anchovy and garlic and sauté until the garlic is golden. Add the passata, salt and pepper and stir well.

Cook over a medium-high heat for 15 minutes until thickened and reduced, then set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion, red peppers and celery and season with salt and pepper, then sauté for 5 minutes until slightly soft, but still firm. Add the vinegar, tomato purée, capers, olives and tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add the roasted aubergines and gently mix.

Spread the ricotta over the toasts and serve with the caponata, either warm or at room temperature. The entire salad can be made up to four days in advance – the flavour actually improves with time.

Crispy aubergine, spring onion and chilli salad with sweet soy and lime dressing

After a brilliant lunch at E&O restaurant in Notting Hill, London, I was spurred into making my own version of their exalted aubergine salad with soy. I found frying the aubergine wasn’t necessary and grilling produced an equally tasty and healthier result.

Serves 4

4 spring onions, cut into thin julienne
2 thumb-sized red chillies, deseeded and cut into thin julienne
3 small to medium aubergines, cut into 2.5cm thick slices
3–4 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 small handful of coriander leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tbsp sweet soy sauce
2 thumb-sized red chillies, deseeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
Juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp caster sugar

Place the spring onions and chillies in wet paper towels and chill in the refrigerator until required. This makes them crisp and sweeter in taste.

To make the soy and lime dressing, put all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Alternatively, pulse them in a food processor. Set aside.

Brush both sides of the aubergine slices liberally with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan and grill the aubergines in batches for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until griddle marks appear. Remove to a platter and continue to grill the remaining aubergines.

Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with the spring onions, chillies and coriander and serve immediately.

The dressing can be made the day before, but the salad should be served within 2 hours of preparation.

Panzanella salad

There are a lot of ingredients in this classic Tuscan salad but it’s worth every second of chopping. I love the different textures of crunchy croutons with soft tomatoes and crisp cucumber and peppers. The capers and olives add a salty pop to every bite.

Serves 4

1 ciabatta or sourdough loaf, cut into 1cm cubes
2 red peppers, deseeded and quartered
​250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 celery heart, (the inner part of the celery head), sliced
10 Italian black olives, pitted and halved
2 tbsp small capers, rinsed 
1 small red onion, finely diced
2–3 mini cucumbers, peeled and sliced, or 1 medium cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced
20 basil leaves, shredded
1 anchovy, rinsed and chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar, preferably cabernet sauvignon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C. Spread out the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Preheat the grill to high. Place the peppers, skin-side up, on a large baking sheet and grill until blackened. Place the peppers in a plastic bag, seal and set aside for 5 minutes.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skins but do not rinse. Thinly slice the flesh and place in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, celery, olives, capers, onion, cucumbers, basil, anchovy, garlic and croutons to the bowl. Just before serving, drizzle the oil and vinegar over the salad, season with plenty of salt and pepper and toss until combined and serve.

Seared duck with sugared pecans, spinach and raspberry dressing

This “one-dish” duck salad is impressive and simple to make. The depth of flavour is dramatically improved if you marinate the duck breasts for a couple of hours beforehand.

Serves 4

2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 medium duck breasts
​200g green beans, trimmed
​100g baby spinach leaves
​125g cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small red onion, finely diced
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp raspberry vinegar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
50g pecans
2 tbsp clear honey
½ tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp vegetable oil

Mix together the raspberry vinegar and soy in a shallow, non-metallic dish to make a marinade.

Score a criss-cross pattern on the fat side of the duck breasts with a knife and season well with salt and pepper. Add to the marinade, turning to coat, and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Drain the duck breasts, discarding the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat a non-stick sauté pan until very hot. Sear the duck breasts, skin-side down, then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 10 minutes until the fat has rendered. You want the fat to melt slowly, without burning, so that you have a thin, crispy layer of fat.

Transfer the duck to a shallow roasting pan or ovenproof dish and roast in the oven for 10 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 10 minutes and then slice thinly.

While the duck is resting, make the sugared pecans. On a baking sheet, toss the pecans with the other ingredients until coated then bake for 5 minutes. Remove and leave to crisp up on non-stick baking paper.

Meanwhile, make the raspberry dressing. Put all the ingredients in a screw-top jar, season with salt and pepper and shake well, then set aside.

Blanch the beans in a pan of boiling water until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain and immediately immerse in iced water. Drain again and dry on paper towels.

Place the spinach on a platter or individual plates. Arrange the beans on top of the spinach with the tomatoes and onion. Place the sliced duck breast on top, drizzle the dressing over and top with the pecans. The duck breasts can be marinated and the beans, pecans and dressing can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator the day before serving.

The ‘Well-Dressed Salad’ by Jennifer Joyce, published by Pavilion Books. Photography by Tony Briscoe