We’re back for the fourth instalment of our Summer salads series. This week, a recipe that delivers on the promise that they can well and truly cut it as a hearty, standalone meal.
The hallmark of Summer is fresh salads that can be thrown together in mere minutes. Granted, this one has a few extra ingredients than your typical 3 minute fruit and cheese assembly like the delicious burrata and peach salad we featured last week. However, this is a meal in its own right – there’s no need for grilled fish or chicken to accomplish satiety.
When your goal is building a hearty meal rather than a side, let the macronutrient elements be the centrepiece rather than the greens. Here, we have potatoes and soft-boiled eggs ticking the carbohydrate and protein boxes respectively, and fresh early Summer produce to add crunch and freshness. Paired with a bright, zingy lemon aioli, this is a delicious easy meal that won’t leave anyone hungry.
Summer potato salad for two
Ingredients
Lemon Aioli
1 medium egg (room temperature)
Pinch of salt
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, finely grated or minced
1/3 cup macadamia or avocado oil
1/3 cup mild flavoured extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of half a lemon
Salad
500g new or waxy potatoes, peeled
Handful of green beans, topped and tailed
½ cup of frozen peas
½ bunch of asparagus, ends removed
3 medium red radishes, finely sliced
Half a small red onion, finely sliced
Handful of dill fronds, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 small red chilli, seeds removed and sliced
2 eggs, soft-boiled and halved
Method:
Lemon Aioli
You can use a traditional method to prepare this (i.e. whisk and mixing bowl), however my favourite shortcut is to place the ingredients in a wide mouth 500ml jar and use a handheld stick blender to combine. Whack your lid on the mayo and its straight in the fridge, leaving only your blender to have a quick rinse.
Start with your eggs, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and salt – blend them until foamy. Leave the blender running and add the oils in a slow, steady stream. Adjust the flavours if necessary, then stir through the lemon zest.
Potato salad
- Bring a medium sized pot of well salted water to the boil, whilst preparing the potatoes by cutting them into 2.5 cm pieces. Blanch them in the water for 5 or so minutes until they’re cooked-through but firm. Set them aside in a colander to cool.
- Fill the same pot half full again with well salted water and bring it to the boil, adding the green beans. Allow them to cook for 2 minutes, add the peas and after another 2 minutes, the asparagus. Cook for a further 30-60 seconds only, so that the asparagus maintains some crunch. Drain the greens and set them aside on a plate to cool.
- To assemble the salad, lay the potatoes evenly over a small platter and add the greens. Scatter the radishes, onions and dill on top, add the eggs and then garnish with the chilli, then spoon the aioli generously over the top to serve.
This same formula can last all through summer and into Autumn if you rotate the seasonal offerings with the potatoes and eggs. Once asparagus and fresh beans are out, lightly cooked zucchini can replace them. The dill can be easily substituted for any herb – parsley or tarragon work well – and fried capers and anchovies can add a new layer of flair whenever you need it.
Well, I hope you enjoy this one. Stay tuned for some more Summer classics coming your way as we enjoy the last hurrah before Autumn sets in.
Georgia is a clinically trained nutritionist, wholefoods chef, columnist and mum. She’s been featured in Body & Soul and had TV appearances on ABC Breakfast and Studio 10 for her unique approach to food and health. She’s known for reinventing traditional foods for the modern kitchen and was instrumental in a radical new approach to sports nutrition with a program for the NRL Parramatta Eels, kickstarting their ascent on the ladder in recent years. Find out more at stirringchange.com.
