I know I don't usually write one of these on the weekend, but I made this salad recently and immediately thought, this is the perfect weekend salad.
It's fresh, crunchy, ridiculously easy to throw together and goes with pretty much anything you might be cooking up.
So, a little backstory on this salad...
I first made it years ago when I was catering a wellness retreat.
I had planned to finish it with toasted seeds, only to realise halfway through that I'd completely forgotten to pack them.
Shit.
I needed crunch, and I needed it fast.
I had some homemade seed crackers in my kit, so I crumbled them over the salad and hoped for the best.
Turns out, forgetting the seeds was the best thing I could have done.
The crackers gave it crunch, but also herbs, spices and so much more flavour.
That little catering mishap has become one of my favourite salad shortcuts.
Because here's the thing...
I don't think salads need to be complicated to be bloody good.
This is one I make on repeat because it's fresh, zingy, crunchy and herby, without a million ingredients or an hour of chopping.
And the other shortcut is my mandoline.
I use it to get the cabbage, fennel and even broccoli paper thin and even
No trying to finely slice half a cabbage with a knife.
No spending 10 minutes making perfect apple matchsticks.
No chunky bits that require approximately 47 chews before you're allowed to swallow them.
Just pop it through the mandoline and you're done.
This is genuinely my number one kitchen tool. I pull it out more nights than not because it makes good food faster.
And if you've ever thought, Do I really need a mandoline? Will I actually use it? What if I cut my fingers off?
I hear you.
Two messages that landed in my DMs this week:
And honestly, “the hardest workers in the kitchen” might be the best description I've heard yet. I can't argue with that!
Yes, the blade is sharp.
That's why it's so bloody good.
The dial underneath lets you change the thickness, and you can flip the top panel over for perfect matchsticks. An apple takes about 30 seconds.
And if the blade is the bit putting you off, I use my cut-resistant glove for extra confidence. And to save my fingers!
If you've been thinking about getting one, now is a pretty good time with Summer on our doorstep.
The salad is endlessly adaptable. I have it with roast lamb, chicken and pittas with a dollop of garlic yoghurt, at a BBQ, in wraps or simply alongside dinner when I need something green.
Made with a good parmesan and currant dressing, plenty of fresh herbs, then crumble those seed crackers over the top.
No toasted seeds. No croutons. Just crunch.
Honestly, I reckon this is the perfect salad to make this weekend.
Or make a big batch on Sunday and you've got an easy green thing ready to go with lunches and dinners for the next few days.
I've also popped my tips for keeping it fresh for longer in the recipe, so have a read before you prep the whole batch.
