Photography: Alan Benson | Styling: Vanessa Austin
The following recipes and recipe descriptions are from Salata, a cookbook by Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley, which you can buy here.
Soup season is over, which means sunnier days and crisp, crunchy salads. If you’re looking for something a little more exciting than a bag of mixed leaf lettuce and a few cherry tomatoes, may we introduce you to these five flavour-packed, textural, Mediterranean-inspired salads courtesy of Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley, the team behind Kepos Street Kitchen and the authors of the cookbook Salata. Perfect for packed lunches, mid-week dinners and family gatherings.
5 Mediterranean salad recipes to try from Salata
Beetroot salad with dill and walnuts
Serves 4-6
Sweet, tender beetroot is wonderful in a salad, but it does take time to cook properly. Thankfully, if you’re feeling a little lazy or pressed for time, for this salad you can also use ready-cooked vacuum-packed beetroot, which you can now find in most supermarkets.
- 4 large beetroot, washed and trimmed
- 100g (1 cup) whole walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1 bunch of dill leaves, picked
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- 100g Danish feta
- Place the beetroot in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour, or until you can slide a sharp knife through the beetroot and it comes out easily. Drain the beetroot and leave until cool enough to handle.
- Using a knife, peel the beetroot by scraping off the skin. It’s a good idea to wear gloves for this, as beetroot can stain your hands. Cut the beetroot into 3cm cubes or irregular shapes and leave to cool to room temperature. Place in a large bowl with the walnuts, dill, vinegar and olive oil and gently mix together. Season with salt, being careful not to add too much, as feta can be salty.
- Transfer the salad to a platter, crumble or flake the feta over and serve. The components for this salad can be prepared in advance, but dress it and crumble the feta over just before serving. Once feta is left with the beetroot, it turns pink!
Roasted fennel and leek salad with fennel leaves and pecorino
Serves 4
For me, fennel evokes vivid childhood memories. My siblings and I used to be given a whole bulb and would eat it like an apple with a small amount of salt to dip it in. Today I sometimes can’t understand how we actually enjoyed the aniseed flavour at such a young age… but enjoy it we did! A lighter vegetable, fennel is great served with fish.
- 1 large leek, roots and green leaves trimmed
- 2 large fennel bulbs, roots trimmed, leaves reserved
- 60ml (1⁄4 cup) olive oil
- Sea salt flakes and pepper, to taste
- 125g pecorino, shaved
- Preheat the oven to 210°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cut the leek in half lengthways and wash well to remove any sand or grit. Cut into 4cm long batons and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut each fennel bulb into 10 wedges. Half-fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Blanch the fennel for 5 minutes, then drain and add to the leek. Drizzle with half the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Spread the mixture on the baking tray, making sure you don’t overcrowd the tray. Roast for 12-15 minutes, or until tender and lightly golden. Cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl and toss with the pecorino, reserved fennel leaves and remaining olive oil. Season with salt to taste. Enjoy straight away or at room temperature the same day.
Philip’s blood orange and pomegranate molasses salad
Serves 6
Our friend Philip was a well-known event planner and created spectacular occasions. He loved entertaining at home, and this dessert salad brings back great memories of him. Blood oranges have a very short season in winter, and we just love their rich colour. For an even more decadent salad, serve with a couple of dollops of clotted cream.
- 8 small blood oranges
- 8 medjool dates, pitted and cut in half
- Seeds from 1⁄2 pomegranate
- 35g (1⁄4 cup) pistachios, lightly toasted
- 1⁄4 bunch of mint leaves, chopped
- Pomegranate, honey and orange blossom dressing
- 60ml (1⁄4 cup) pomegranate molasses
- 60ml (1⁄4 cup) honey
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 11⁄2 teaspoons orange blossom water
- Peel the oranges and cut into 2cm-thick slices, discarding the seeds. Place the orange slices in a small bowl.
- Mix together the dressing ingredients.
- Layer the orange slices and dates on a large platter. Drizzle the dressing over. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, pistachios and mint leaves, and serve straight away.
Radicchio, pear and goat’s feta salad
Serves 6-8
We love this simple but delicious combination of ingredients. At the right time of year, try it with firm persimmons in place of the pears – the combination tastes sensational.
- 2 firm pears
- 1 small head of radicchio, leaves torn
- 100g marinated soft goat’s feta
- 100g (1 cup) walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1⁄2 quantity of lemon & poppy seed dressing (see below)
- Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, carefully slice the pears thinly (but not paper thin).
- On a large platter, arrange half the radicchio, pear slices and goat’s feta. Sprinkle half the walnuts over, then drizzle with half the dressing. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and then serve straight away.
- Lemon and poppy seed dressing (makes about 200ml)
- 60ml (1⁄4 cup) lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) quality olive oil or any nut oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Salt, to taste
- Place all the ingredients in a glass jar, screw the lid on and shake until well combined. The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Salma’s Canteen Waldorf salad
Serves 6-8
Salma’s Canteen is our canteen-style cafe in the Sydney suburb of Rosebery that sells amazing seasonal salads. We also have a weekly stand at a local farmers market, Carriageworks, and often at the end of the market on a Saturday, we receive produce from some of the farmers. This winter we received a lot of delicious apples, and they are perfect in this dish. Fruit can be very tricky in savoury salads, and not all fruits are suitable. Apple is an exception and is a great addition as it has crunch and sweetness, and blends well with salty ingredients.
- 6-8 celery sticks, with the leaves attached
- 2 large red apples
- 120g (1⁄2 cup) dried cranberries
- 100g (1 cup) whole walnuts
- 120g (1⁄2 cup) quality mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt, to taste
- Pick the leaves from the celery and coarsely chop. Cut the celery stalks at an angle, about 5mm thick, and place in a large mixing bowl with the celery leaves. Core the apples, leaving the skin on. Cut each apple into 16 wedges and add to the celery bowl with the cranberries and walnuts.
- Mix the mayonnaise, olive oil and lemon juice together and add to the salad. Combine all the ingredients, season with salt, then serve on a platter, either straight away or at room temperature.
