main course salad

Warm grilled salmon topped with a punchy Thai cucumber salad makes a refreshing and light main course. The dressing, made from fresh lime juice, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar, has that classic sweet-sour-salty Thai flavor; use it as a sauce to spoon liberally around the fish.

Serious Salads: Grilled Salmon with Thai Cucumber Basil Salad Recipe

For the Salad:

lime

vegetable oil

fish sauce

coriander

sugar

Kosher salt

cucumber,

basil

For the Salmon:

salmon fillets,

Vegetable oil

salt and black pepper

Combine garlic, lime juice, oil, fish sauce, coriander, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and set aside. Combine cucumbers and basil in a large bowl and set aside in refrigerator.

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. 

Rub salmon fillets lightly with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Place fillets skin side down on grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes (resist the urge to peek or flip early; when fillets are nicely seared on the first side, they should release easily). Flip the fillets over and continue grilling until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of filet registers 125°F for medium rare or 130°F for medium, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate and tent with foil. Allow to rest for five minutes.

Meanwhile, toss cucumber and basil with half of dressing. Remove the skin from the salmon if desired. Spoon salad on top and drizzle remaining dressing on and around salmon. Serve immediately.

Get all the elements of this beautiful lunch dish prepared in advance, then just assemble when you're ready to serve

Hot-smoked salmon, double cress & potato salad platter

small new potato

green bean

quail eggs

packs hot-smoked salmon

spring onions

avocados

watercress

chicory

pot mustard cress,

mustard

honey

tbsp cider vinegar

olive oil

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl with some seasoning or place them in a screwcap jar and shake well. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cook the potatoes in plenty of boiling water for 10 mins until just tender. Drain, cool slightly, then slice.

While the potatoes are cooking, blanch the green beans in plenty of boiling water for 4 mins until cooked but still with a slight crunch, drain, refresh in iced water to stop them cooking further, then drain again. Cook the quail’s eggs for 3 mins. Drain, place under cold water, then peel and halve. Flake the salmon into large chunks into a bowl and slice the spring onions. All these jobs can be done in advance. Just before serving, halve, peel and slice the avocados.

This is a layered salad rather than a tossed salad, so start by scattering the watercress and chicory over a platter. Scatter different handfuls at a time of all the other ingredients (but not the mustard cress) so that they are evenly distributed. Drizzle over two-thirds of the dressing, then strew over the mustard cress. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad. With mustard BBQ grilled chicken, garden fresh veggies, bacon, feta, and a homemade dressing this dish proves that summer salads make the best main course salads.

Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad

chicken breast

BBQ sauce

bacon

spinach

tomato

zucchini

avocado

feta cheese

TBSP white balsamic vinegar

tsp salt

tsp pepper

Place chicken breast and BBQ sauce into a...

Place chicken breast and BBQ sauce into a reusable container with lid. Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for a minimum 30 minutes, up to over night.

Heat your grill to medium-high, leaving space for...

Heat your grill to medium-high, leaving space for direct heat and indirect heat.

Over indirect heat cook chicken to an internal...

Over indirect heat cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, starting with 5 minutes on each side adjusting according to your meat thermometer.

Place the bacon slices into an oven safe...

Place the bacon slices into an oven safe skillet - preferably cast iron and place on the grill in direct heat. Flip bacon every 2 - 3 minutes to prevent burning. Remove from heat and drain once it's done according to your crispy preference. 

While the chicken cooks, wash and chop your...

While the chicken cooks, wash and chop your vegetables into bite sized pieces, placing them into a large mixing bowl along with the feta, olive oil and golden balsamic vinegar.

Once the chicken is cooked and has had...

Once the chicken is cooked and has had a chance to cool, chop into bite sized slices or chunks. Chop or crumble bacon as desired. 

Add bacon and chicken to the mixing bowl....

Add bacon and chicken to the mixing bowl. Toss the salad to combine and serve immediately. 

Made with spiced beef sausage kabobs and vegetables, Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing is a tasty and unique main course salad. Just add pita.

Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

cucumber (use the rest in the salad)

salt

plain Greek yogurt

lemon juice

Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Tablespoon finely chopped parsley

garlic

salt (pepper

onion

tomato (quartered)

parsley leaves

paprika

bread

beef

lettuce

cherry tomatoes

mini peppers

remaining half of the cucumber

If grilling the kabobs, soak eight skewers in water.  This isn't needed if you are oven baking them.

Make the dressing.  Seed half a cucumber, chop, salt and let sit in a strainer briefly to drain..  Discard juices and mix the cucumber with the rest of the dressing ingredients.  Store in the refrigerator while you make the rest of the dish.

Using a food processor, pulse the seasoning mix ingredients until finely chopped.  They will look surprisingly like meat.  Remove from food processor and in a separate bowl, mix with the meat.

Form seasoned meat mixture around eight skewers.  Bake in a 375 F oven until temperature is 165F, about 15 minutes.  Alternatively you can grill the kabobs,

While kabobs are cooking assemble salads. Slice the cucumber and mini peppers into rounds.  Divide lettuce between four bowls, and top with tomatoes, sliced cucumber and sliced mini peppers.

Serve salads with kefta kabobs and dressing.

Make it with meat or without it's amazing!

I love that these can be grilled or baked! Using the kefta to top the salad with, gave the salad the texture and flavor I didn't know it was missing! The spiced beef was just enough spice for me, but not over the top. A great summer meal!

Top 4 main course salad recipes from across the web

The most viewed main course salad recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Serious Salads: Grilled Salmon with...

Hot-smoked salmon, double cress & p...

Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad

Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

Top 4 main course salad recipes from across the web

The most viewed main course salad recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Serious Salads: Grilled Salmon with...

Hot-smoked salmon, double cress & p...

Carolina BBQ Chicken Salad

Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

The most viewed main course salad recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine