29 Jun 2 favourite Summer salads with Polish flavours
Quick lunch recipes
I miss those huge, Parisian-style salads, so substantial that they are a meal in themselves. Salad is a hard one for the kids – all those long leaves and sharp dressing everywhere, so recently I’ve been making them for our adult lunches while Kazi sleeps (she has an earlier lunch before her nap, which I take as my second breakfast – no one ever eats alone!). These are my 2 favourite Summer salads with Polish flavours at the moment. They contain some elements in common, as you’ll see. First of all, they have a warm, buttery element with dill, then the salad leaves at the bottom and then, they have the same vinaigrette, which contains both mayo and my favourite Sarepska mustard from Poland (you can replace this with any other mild mustard).
I believe that a strong salad game involves a perfect balance of sharp, sweet and salty flavours and of crunchy and soft textures. In the first Summer salad, you will find crunchy salad leaves in a creamy-yet-sharp dressing against the summery, cherry tomatoes and pickled chanterelles cutting through the softness of the fried, warm, dill potatoes. In the second Summer salad, there’s the creamy, warm broad beans against the sharpness of the radishes – same idea. Neither salad would mind a fried egg on top either. The dressing is my favourite homemade vinaigrette -perfect balance of creaminess and sharpness. You can use a different mustard, but I will always tell you try Sarepska, which is available from any Polish shop.
You can find pickled chanterelles in any Polish shop. I still get mine from thoughtful family members in Poland, who send them through my mum. When I eat pickled mushrooms, I am immediately transported to the Polish countryside. Can you believe that I haven’t been there for 3 years now?! Actually, both these Summer Salads contain the flavours that take me to the little village outside of Warsaw where my parents are already waiting for us to arrive. Just 2 weeks to go…
Ingredients (serves 2 adults)
Salad 1 with potatoes and chanterelles
200g mixed salad leaves
Handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
200g leftover, cooked potatoes
2 tablespoons pickled chanterelles, drained
1 tablespoon dill, fresh or dried, finely chopped
1 tablespoon mild oil for frying
Salt
Salad 2 with broad beans
200g mixed salad leaves
1 large tomato, diced
4-6 radishes, sliced
200g broad beans, cooked
1 teaspoon dill, fresh or dried, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons cider apple vinegar
Squeeze of lemon
1 teaspoon mayo
1 teaspoon mild mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and white pepper
Method for salad 1
- Slice and fry the potatoes in the oil until slightly crispy, add the dill near the end of the cooking time, season with salt. Add the chanterelles once the heat is off and stir through.
- Make the vinaigrette by putting all the ingredients in a jar and shaking vigorously.
- Arrange the salad leaves on a plate, add the cherry tomatoes. Put the potatoes and chanterelles in the middle and drizzle everything liberally with the sauce.
Method for salad 2
- Once the butter beans are cooked, toss them with the butter and dill.
- Make the vinaigrette by putting all the ingredients in a jar and shaking vigorously.
- Arrange the salad leaves on a plate, add the radishes and tomatoes and pour on some of the vinaigrette. Add the butter beans on top and drizzle on the the rest of the vinaigrette.