The 16 Best Salads in the World
A salad is rarely an afterthought. In most of the world it is the dish people reach for first. Lebanon chops parsley until it is almost a paste, Thailand pounds green papaya with chilli, Bulgaria buries tomatoes under grated cheese. These are the 16 best salads in the world, each with an authentic recipe.
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Tabbouleh
LebanonMostly parsley, chopped fine, with bulgur as the minor partner. Not the other way round.
Meet Tabbouleh, one of Lebanon's most refreshing and bright dishes. This bright herb salad brings together a generous handful of parsley, juicy tomatoes, nutty bulgur and plenty of zesty lemon. Light, healthy and bursting with the …
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Som Tam
ThailandGreen papaya pounded in a mortar with chilli, lime, fish sauce and palm sugar.
Meet Som Tam, Thailand's very good green papaya salad and a star of street-side cooking right across the country. Shredded unripe papaya is pounded together with lime, chilli, fish sauce and crunchy peanuts to create a dish that …
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Horiatiki
GreeceTomato, cucumber, onion, olives and a slab of feta. No lettuce and no dressing beyond oil.
Say kalimera to Greek Salad, the sun-soaked classic that captures the spirit of a Greek summer on a single plate. Built from ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, sharp red onion, briny Kalamata olives and a generous slab of feta, all …
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Shopska Salad
BulgariaTomato and cucumber buried under grated sirene. It carries Bulgaria's flag colours.
Shopska Salad is tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion under a heavy layer of grated white cheese. The colours are white, green and red, which are the colours of the Bulgarian flag, and that is not a coincidence. It arrives before …
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Gado-Gado
IndonesiaBlanched vegetables, tofu and egg under a thick peanut sauce. A meal, not a side.
Discover Gado-Gado, one of Indonesia's most cherished dishes. This bright salad brings together crisp, freshly blanched vegetables, golden cubes of tofu and a glossy, deeply savoury peanut sauce. It is as nourishing as it is …
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Fattoush
LebanonStale flatbread crisped and tossed with vegetables and sumac. Frugality that became famous.
Brighten up any table with Fattoush, the bright Lebanese salad that turns a handful of fresh vegetables and crisp toasted flatbread into something quite special. Tossed in a tangy, sumac-spiked dressing, it captures the colour, …
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Olivier Salad
RussiaPotato, egg, peas and pickle in mayonnaise. Russia will not sit down to New Year without it.
Meet Olivier Salad, the creamy, colourful centrepiece of every Russian celebration table. This much-loved classic brings together tender diced potatoes, carrots, peas and crunchy pickles, all bound in a rich, velvety dressing. …
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Caprese
ItalyMozzarella, tomato, basil, oil. Four ingredients, so all four have to be good.
Discover Caprese Salad, one of Italy's most beloved starters. Few dishes capture the spirit of an Italian summer quite like this one: sun-ripened tomatoes, creamy mozzarella and fragrant basil, finished with a generous drizzle of …
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Salade Niçoise
FranceTuna, olives, eggs and beans. Whether potato belongs is still argued in Nice.
Say bonjour to Salade Niçoise, the sun-drenched classic that captures the spirit of the French Riviera on a single plate. Born in the seaside city of Nice, this bright salad layers crisp green beans, ripe tomatoes, flaked tuna, …
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Kachumbari
KenyaTomato, onion and chilli with lime. Kenya serves it beside anything grilled.
Discover Kachumbari, the bright, crunchy tomato-and-onion relish that turns up at practically every Kenyan table. Little more than ripe tomatoes, sharp onion, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime, it delivers a burst of freshness …
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Israeli Salad
IsraelTomato and cucumber diced small, dressed with lemon and oil. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Discover Israeli Salad, a bright celebration of fresh vegetables and simple, sunny flavours. Finely diced tomatoes, crisp cucumber and colourful peppers are tossed with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a handful of parsley to …
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Zaalouk
MoroccoAubergine and tomato cooked down with cumin and garlic, then served cool with bread.
Discover Zaalouk, one of Morocco's most beloved everyday dishes. This fragrant blend of silky aubergine and ripe tomato is slow-cooked with garlic and warm spices until it melts into a rich, smoky relish. Served as a side or …
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Solterito
PeruBroad beans, corn, onion and fresh cheese from Arequipa, dressed with rocoto chilli.
Say hello to Solterito Arequipeño, a bright and refreshing salad from the highland city of Arequipa in Peru. This colourful bowl brings together fluffy quinoa, crisp fresh vegetables and tender cheese, all lifted by a squeeze of …
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Cobb Salad
USAChicken, bacon, egg, avocado and blue cheese in rows. Invented in Los Angeles in 1937.
Say hello to the Cobb Salad, one of America's most colourful and satisfying classics. Crisp lettuce forms the base for tender chicken breast, crumbled bacon and creamy avocado, all brought together with a sharp vinaigrette. It is …
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Mizeria
PolandCucumber in soured cream with dill. Poland's answer to a hot afternoon.
Cool, creamy and wonderfully refreshing, Mizeria with soured cream is Poland's answer to a summer cucumber salad. Crisp cucumbers are folded through a velvety dressing of soured cream and fresh dill, with just a whisper of sugar …
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Gỏi Bò
VietnamRare beef with herbs, lime and fish sauce. More herbs than leaves, which is the point.
Cool, fresh and full of flavour, Goi Bo is Vietnam's much-loved beef salad and the perfect thing to make when the weather warms up. Tender strips of beef meet crisp vegetables and a tangle of fragrant herbs, all brought together …
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