By Daniella Isaacs; Photography by Nato Welton
Light that fire.
Days are getting longer, temps are rising and it’s time to light the braai! Here, four delicious, clean and healthy detox salads that are the perfect match for your weekend braai.
Tuck in!
1. Baby Spinach, Avo And Feta Salad
The baby spinach, shredded beetroot and sunflower seeds give this salad a delicious crunch. Simple, but so yummy!
Ingredients
– 300 g baby spinach
– 200 g wild rocket
– 2 large ripe avocados cut into chunks
– 100 g fresh shredded beetroot
– 200 g feta cheese, crumbled
– Assorted micro herbs – coriander, basil and rocket
– 100 g Pouyoukas sunflower seeds
– This salad is best dressed simply with olive oil and seasoning.
Method
1. On a large serving platter, scatter the baby spinach leaves, rocket and avocado chunks.
2. Add the beetroot, feta cheese, micro herbs and sunflower seeds.
3. Serve with plenty of fresh lime.
2. Chicken And Pomegranate Za’Atar Salad
Ingredients
– 2 lemons, juiced
– 2 tbsp za’atar (try Zaytoun’s za’atar, from Durban, or Kishmish Lebanese Za’atar, Faithful-To- Nature.co.za)
– 1 clove garlic, crushed
– 2 raw chicken breasts, sliced
– 60g spinach leaves
– 2 large tomatoes, chopped, deseeded
– 1 handful parsley, chopped
– 1 handful mint, chopped 1⁄2 cucumber, chopped finely
– 1⁄2 red onion, finely chopped
– 1 tbsp coconut oil
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 50g pomegranate arils
1. Mix the juice of one lemon, za’atar and garlic in a bowl and rub over the chicken. Cover in cling film and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Mix the spinach, tomatoes, herbs, cucumber and onion in a bowl and remaining lemon juice.
3. Fry chicken in the coconut oil for 10 minutes, then mix into the salad, drizzle with olive oil. Season, then toss in the arils.
SERVES 2: Per serving: 2 420kJ, 9.1g sat fat, 15g sugar
3. Red Pepper, Pecan And Lentil Salad
This zesty, fresh salad is packed with extra protein thanks to the lentils and nuts.
Ingredients
– 2 red peppers, sliced 200g puy lentils (green) 2 cloves garlic
– 2 shallots, finely diced
– 1 tsp coconut oil
– 30g pecans
– 2 handfuls rocket
– 3 tbsp chopped flat- leaf parsley
– 4 tbsp chopped basil 200g peas
– Drizzle olive oil
– Juice 1 lemon
Method
1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Place the pepper in the oven on a baking tray for 20 minutes, until slightly charred.
2. Simmer the lentils with one garlic clove in a pan of water for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Fry the shallot and the other garlic clove, chopped, in the coconut oil.
4. Toast the nuts in the oven for five minutes.
5. Drain the lentils, remove the garlic; rinse in cold water. Stir in half the shallot-and-garlic mix, rocket, parsley and half the basil.
6. Blanch the peas.
7. Blitz peppers with 60ml water and the remaining shallot mix, basil and lemon juice. Season; toss with salad, peas, olive oil and pecans.
SERVES 4: Per serving: 927kJ, 2.2g sat fat, 7.1g sugar
4. Kale And Hemp Salad
Roast veg + fresh shredded kale = the perfect salad for any season.
Ingredients
– 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
– 2 carrots, cut into chunks 2 parsnips, cut into chunks 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 270g kale, shredded
– 4 tbsp hemp seeds
– 1 avocado, chopped
For the dressing
– 2 tbsp agave syrup or coconut blossom nectar
– 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
– 5 tsp tamari (or wheat-free soy sauce)
– 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method
1. Heat oven to 180°C. Toast the sunflower seeds for 10 minutes. Set aside. Then place carrots and parsnips on a baking tray with coconut oil, season and roast for 30 mins.
2. In the meantime, make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together and massaging the mix into the kale. Season and set aside for 15 minutes.
3. All that’s left to do is to mix the kale with the seeds and avocado and lay the roasted carrots and parsnips on top. If you’re craving extra protein and want to mix things up, add a portion of chicken or salmon to the mix.
SERVES 4: 1 877kJ, 9.6g sat fat, 9.6g sugar
Looking for more salad recipes? Try this shredded cabbage salad recipe (the dressing is everything!)
