If a bleeding animal burger represents the acme of “man food”, salads tend to signify the opposite. But at Men’s Health, we’re simply not having it: the idea that your menu order is in some way indicative of your character is a tired one. And yet... salads do still get a bad rap.
They’re side dishes, compromises, your penance for overindulgence – and likely to elicit eye-rolls from any colleague already a few mouthfuls deep into a chip roll with all the trimmings.
We’re here to tell you that this is nonsense. With a little forethought and flair, you can throw together a spring salad that’s toothsome, filling and on-point for your macro targets, too. We asked five leading chefs for mouth-watering recipes that will change your mind about salads, each bursting with flavour and freshness. Trust us, you won’t go hungry.
CAJUN CAULI, EGG AND TOAST
Serves 4
● A CAULIFLOWER, SLICED
● YELLOW ONION, ½, SLICED
● CAJUN SPICE, TO TASTE
● QUINOA, 250G
● MIELIE, 1
● LIMES, 2, JUICE AND ZEST
● CORIANDER, LARGE PINCH,vbCHOPPED
● BEETROOT HUMMUS, 300G
● COOKED BEETROOTS, 8
● SNAP PEAS, 200G
● GARDEN PEAS, 200G
● FREE-RANGE EGGS, 4, POACHED
● RUSTIC SOURDOUGH,4 SLICES, TOASTED
METHOD
Bland ingredients make for drab salads. “We base our recipes on seasonal, local produce,” says chef Tasos Gaitanos. “It’s a natural way to add more flavour.” First, prep the cauliflower: it’s packed full of glucosinolates, which will bolster your liver’s defences after you’ve made a few too many pub-garden stop-offs. Pop it on a tray with the onion, then sprinkle liberally with Cajun spice. Drizzle with oil and bake it at 180°C for 18 minutes.
While the cauli cooks, prep the quinoa mix. Boil your mielie, char it on a hot griddle pan, then scrape off the kernels. Cook the quinoa as per pack instructions, then combine with the corn, lime juice and coriander in a bowl.
Plate up as follows: use the hummus as the creamy base, then add the cauli, followed by the quinoa mix and veg. If a stressful week has your hackles raised, the double beetroot hit will help to lower your blood pressure. Top each plate with a runny poached egg and serve with a slice of sourdough. “Liven it up with wild garlic, if you like,” says Gaitanos. You’ll have to wait for summer as that’s when it’s in season.
BBQ PORK BELLY WITH CRISPY TOFU
Serves 4
Your back-garden braai needn’t start and finish with burgers and buns. This fresh spin, from Patrick Williams at the Caribbean joint Soul Food, offers a more nutritious take on al fresco eating.
● PORK BELLY, 500G
● SMOKED PAPRIKA, 2TSP
● GROUND ALLSPICE, 2TSP
● A COURGETTE, THINLY SLICED
● AVOCADOS, 2, DICED
● CARROTS, 2, SLICED
● CUCUMBER, ½, SLICED
● WATERCRESS, BUNCH
● FLOUR, 2TBSP
● EXTRA FIRM TOFU, 300G, DICED
For the dressing:
● DIJON MUSTARD, 1TSP
● FLAXSEED OIL, 75ML
● A LIME, JUICED
METHOD
Bookmark this recipe for the next blistering Sunday. Pork belly may be something of a guilty pleasure – and rightly so – but most of its fats are of the healthier monounsaturated variety. Plus, it’s packed with B vitamins. Slice the meat into strips and marinate the night before in half of the spices, salt and pepper. When you’re ready to cook, fire up the Weber, ensuring you leave a “cool zone”. Lightly brush the pork with oil, place it on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 10 minutes per side, then move to the cooler area until done to your liking.
Place all of the sliced fruit and veg, including the courgette, in a bowl with salt and pepper. Courgettes are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, potassium and magnesium. Then, combine the flour with the remaining spices, coat the tofu, then drop it in a hot pan with a dash of oil until crispy.
When the pork is cool, slice it and add to the salad. Whisk the dressing ingredients together, then drizzle over everything. Top it all off with crispy tofu for an extra punch of protein.
CRAB SOM TAM
Serves 4
This lean dish promises all of the sweetness and heat of your favourite Thai takeaway but with a more palatable macro balance. Tuck into this fragrant feast from Rick and Katie Toogood at the seafood restaurant Prawn.
● LARGE CARROTS, 2, PEELED
● A GREEN PAPAYA OR CUCUMBER, PEELED
● GARLIC, 2TSP, CRUSHED
● MINT LEAVES, SMALL HANDFUL
● CORIANDER LEAVES, HANDFUL
● CHERRY TOMATOES, 8, HALVED AND SQUASHED
● SPRING ONIONS, 2, SLICED
● A RED CHILLI, DESEEDED
● AND FINELY SLICED
● WHITE CRAB MEAT, 150G
● PEANUTS, HANDFUL, CRUSHED
For the nam jim sauce:
● THAI FISH SAUCE, 1TBSP
● GINGER, 2TSP, CHOPPED
● LIMES, 2, JUICED
METHOD
Crafting abs in the kitchen should be a labour of love. “This dish has the typical balance of flavours found in Thai dishes: salty, sweet, sour, spicy – but it’s also very healthy,” says Rick Toogood. Using a mandoline, slice the carrots and vitamin C-packed papaya (or cucumber) into thin matchsticks.
Place in a mixing bowl, add the garlic, then whisk up the nam jim sauce and pour it over. Purists add palm sugar, but this recipe gets its natural sweetness from the seafood, further cutting carbs. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavours to infuse.
When you’re ready to serve, remove the bowl from the fridge and add the mint, coriander, squashed tomatoes, spring onions and chilli. Mix thoroughly. Pile it onto a serving plate and top with the crab meat, an excellent source of mood-improving riboflavin and selenium, as well as testosterone-boosting zinc. Sprinkle the toasted peanuts on top and serve.
ROAST LAMB POTATO AND CHERRY
Serves 4
After a tough session in the gym, you deserve a greater reward than a limp supermarket salad. Prep this recipe from chef Peter Gordon of fusion restaurant the Providores the night before, and break it out when you need it.
● LAMB RUMPS, 4 X 160G
● POTATOES, 300G
● A RED ONION, SLICED
● GARLIC, 6 CLOVES, SLICED
● OREGANO LEAVES, A LARGE PINCH
● CHERRIES, 16, HALVED
● BALSAMIC OR RED WINE VINEGAR, 2TBSP
● SALAD LEAVES, 2 HANDFULS
METHOD
The meat from grassfed lambs, in particular, is rich in weight-controlling omega-3 fatty acids. Heat
the oven to 180°C and put a roasting dish in the middle. Score the lamb fat, then place the meat in a hot pan with a dash of oil, fat side down. Cook for five minutes, turning once, to render the fat and give the meat colour, then roast for 13-15 minutes.
While it cooks, boil the potatoes, drain and halve them. White spuds are stuffed with fastacting carbohydrates and rehydrating potassium, ideal after cardio. Fry the onion and garlic until caramelised, then add the potatoes, oregano and cherries to warm through. Season with salt and pepper, add a splash of the vinegar, then take it off the heat.
Fill your Tupperware with the salad leaves, then top with the potato and cherry mix. As well as adding a welcome hit of sweetness to your dish, cherries are among the most effective foods for reducing post-workout muscle inflammation. Finally, slice the roast lamb against the grain and place it on top. It’s a lunch that’s well worth working for.
SUMMER CAESAR DELUXE
Serves 4
This twist on the classic salad will sate your cravings for salt and fat but won’t leave you lethargic. Best of all, it includes bacon – courtesy of Ben Tish, chef at the Stafford.
● BABY GEM LETTUCE, 4 HEADS
● CHICKEN STOCK, 50ML
● DIJON MUSTARD, 1TSP
● THICK-CUT STREAKY BACON, 8 SLICES
● THYME LEAVES, 1TSP
● HONEY, 1TBSP
● A SLICE OF SOURDOUGH, TORN
● FRESH MAYONNAISE, 170ML
● SMOKED ANCHOVIES, A SMALL TIN
● AGED PARMESAN CHEESE, 100G
METHOD
Greens are good for more than just bulking up your plate. Pick the outer leaves of the
lettuce and wilt them in a saucepan with a dash of oil and some seasoning. Pluck them out while they’re still green and blend with the stock and mustard.
Next up, the rashers. Put the bacon on a baking tray and grill in the oven until they start to colour, then top with the thyme and honey. Finish for another minute or so. “The salty bacon works wonders with the sweet honey and the fragrant thyme,” says Tish. Toss the sourdough pieces – a source of slowburning carbs – with oil and seasoning, then bake in an oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. Blitz the mayo along with four pieces of anchovy. Fresh mayo, made with extravirgin olive oil and egg yolk, can be an excellent source of healthy fats, while anchovies are rich in energy-lifting niacin.
Dress the remaining baby gem leaves with the mayo. To assemble, divide the blended greens into four bowls, then top with the dressed leaves, bacon, croutons, anchovies and Parmesan shavings, for cheat-day flavour with minimal drawbacks. Best served in the garden alongside a chilled glass of… well, anything.
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