There should be more to a summer salad than simply placing lettuce, tomato and cucumber on a plate.
Modern salads can be flavour-packed plates of sunshine, made with everything from raw to roast vegetables, seafood, meat, fruit, pulses and squashes.
From the kitchens of Fochabers-based Baxters comes a range of fermented dressings which have the perfect balance of delicious flavours and “great for you” ingredients.
They are used here to add an extra layer of flavour to what are already super-healthy and tasty salads. Add a little dressing to make salads extra special.
Roast broccoli, beetroot and feta salad
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli
- 300g cooked beetroot
- 1 can cooked lentils
- 200g baby spinach leaves
- 40g sesame seeds
- 100g feta
- 50ml rapeseed oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper (to season)
- Baxters Super Good Beetroot and Gochujang dressing
Method
- Cut the broccoli into small florets and place in a bowl.
- Drizzle with half the oil, add 2 cloves garlic and season. Place on an oven tray.
- Cut the beetroot into wedges, drizzle with the rest of the oil.
- Add the remaining garlic, season and place on a separate oven tray.
- Roast both trays of vegetables at 180⁰C until softened and golden (approximately
15 minutes). - Drain the lentils and rinse under cold water. Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan with a little oil. Dice the feta into small cubes.
- Mix all ingredients in a big bowl and dress with 5-6 tbsp Baxters Super Good Beetroot dressing.
- Season to taste.
Carrot, squash and fennel salad
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
- 300g carrots, peeled and diced
- 300g butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 300g kale
- 1 bulb fennel
- 300g cooked spelt
- 50ml rapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper
- Sprig of thyme
- 1 garlic clove
- 50g pumpkin seeds
- 1 bottle Baxters Super Good Carrot, Miso and Ginger Dressing
Method
- Drizzle the squash and carrot with half the oil and add the garlic and thyme.
- Season and roast in a pre-heated oven at 180⁰C until softened and golden. Set aside to cool.
- Drizzle the kale with the remaining oil and massage in well, season and bake in the oven at 180⁰C until crisp.
- Toast the seeds in a little oil in a shallow frying pan.
- Slice the fennel as thinly as possible.
- Place the fennel, seeds and roast veg in a bowl and dress with 5-6 tbsp Baxters Super Good Carrot, Miso and Ginger dressing.
Prawn, mango and avocado salad
(Serves 2) 
Ingredients
- 200g raw king prawns
- 1 bottle Baxters Super Good Mango, Coconut and Kombucha Dressing
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 red chilli
- 50g coriander
- 200g rocket
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Pour 5 tbsp Baxters Super Good Mango, Coconut and Kombucha Dressing into a bowl and add the prawns. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes (overnight is even better).
- Heat a frying pan till very hot then add the prawns, season and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool.
- Peel and dice the mango into 2cm cubes. Slice the chilli and chop the coriander into small pieces.
- Half and de-stone the avocado. Using a spoon, peel away the skin. Slice lengthways and drizzle with lime juice to stop browning.
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with 5 tbsp of the dressing.
Serve.