Salad recipes for picnics

Simply scrumptious
and hassle-free

You'll also find yummy tomato salad recipes and colourful salad recipes for picnics using beetroot.

For the recipes where the dressing has to be added at the last minute, I suggest a screw-top, lidded jar to carry the dressing separately.

I have a great jar, especially made for mixing dressings, which I believe came from Lakeland Ltd. but I really can’t remember. It’s made of sturdy plastic. There's also one in the Jamie Oliver range. However any tight-fitting, lidded jar will do.

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Very simple, but one of my favourite, salad recipes for picnics:

Spinach and chickpea salad

• 200 g baby spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Combine chopped spinach, chickpeas and chopped onions in a bowl. In lidded jar mix the balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Transport separately and toss together before serving.

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Spicy Salad Recipe for Picnics

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Try this salad recipe for picnics for Monday lunch!

Roast Beef Salad

• 375 g cooked, sliced cold roast beef
• 125 g day-old bread, a country loaf , not sliced white!
• 450 g. tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 1 teaspoon horseradish sauce
• 125 ml (4 fl.oz.) virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Parmesan shavings

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Pasta Salad with Asparagus

This is a great salad recipe for picnics if you have a lot of cheap asparagus, such as baskets of spears like this I buy at the local farm shop. I don’t recommend using expensive, graded, asparagus in such a recipe!

• 1 small shallot finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 350 g fresh asparagus spears
• 2 endives, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red pepper, chopped
• 200 g farfalle pasta (bows), cooked to al dente, refreshed in cold water
• 100 g frozen peas
• a handful or two of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put oil in small pan on heat and add chopped shallot. Heat gently for 5 or 6 minutes until shallot is soft and has imparted its flavour into the oil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Hold a spear of asparagus at each end and snap it. The spear breaks where the tender tops meet the tough bottoms. Do the same with each spear. Discard the tough bottom parts. Steam or par-boil the asparagus tops in an inch of simmering water, covered for 3 to 5 minutes. Refresh in cold water and drain.

Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces on an angle and add to a bowl. Mix with shredded endive, red pepper, cooked pasta, peas and parsley. Don’t worry about defrosting the peas.

Mix vinegar into cold shallot oil, pour over salad and toss. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste and toss again.

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Corn Salad

Another easy salad recipe for picnics is one I make for people who don't really like salad! It has no lettuce and needs no dressing apart from a little lemon juice to keep the avocado from turning black.

I just mix a tin of sweet corn with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped avocado (tossed in lemon juice), some chopped coriander and salt.

I also add some Spanish pimenton but that's not absolutely necessary.

This is a colourful dish and popular picnic food, as it's easy to eat with a fork.