Salad recipes for picnics

Simply scrumptious
and hassle-free

You'll also find yummy tomato salad recipes and colourful salad suggestions 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.

This recipe is very simple and is another of my favourites:

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.

Spicy Salad

This is one of the best salad recipes for picnics if you like your food spicy:

• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
• 3 tablespoons sliced jalapeno peppers, drained
• 3 tablespoons small black pitted olives (try olive counters for some lovely variations)
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato salsa
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander or flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

After a traditional Sunday roast at the week-end, try this salad for your Monday lunch:

• 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

Mix everything together. One of the most simple salad recipes for picnics!

Corn Salad

This is a salad 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.

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 one of my most popular salad recipes for picnics, as it's easy to eat with a fork.