As a new season sets in, we find ourselves getting drawn to farmers’ markets brimming with beautiful, ripe produce for the picking, with fresh local foods and juicy fruits taking the center stage. And what better way to pay an ode to these seasonal superstars than by tossing them up in a salad? From the super-healthy Lebanese Tabbouleh to the slightly more indulgent Italian Insalata Di Riso, and from the Classic French Nicoise to the famous Indonesian Gado Gado, here are four salads to give your lunches and dinners in the month of September a little globetrotter-approved flair.
1. Insalata Di Riso – Italian Rice Salad
From the Amalfi Coast boasting a classic Mediterranean landscape, with a terrain that includes dramatic coastline topography scattered with terraced vineyards, to the revered artworks radiating out of St Peter’s Basilica while you wait to experience and capture the emotional and intense moment with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to join the Pope during his papal audience in the Vatican City, and from wafting by the beautiful sights of Venice on a 30-minute gondola ride to steep cliffs rising majestically from an impossibly blue sea at Capri, Italy is a sensual blend of both natural and cultural wonders that’s pleasing to the eye. Equally comforting are the regional Italian delicacies – Neapolitan pizzas, Tuscan Ravioli with ricotta and spinach, Lasagne al Forno in Bologna, and of course scoops of Gelatos just about anywhere.
However today we are talking about yet another comforting dish from Italy – Insalata di Riso (a flavorful Italian salad) filled with healthy ingredients such as rice, tomatoes, tuna, peas, bell peppers, mushrooms, mozzarella, and pine nuts. Though it is often served as a side dish, you can consume it a main, when you plan to have a light dinner.
The dish is incredibly versatile, so almost any ingredient can be added to rice, even though chopped vegetables are the most popular choice. In Italy, there is a certain mix of preserved vegetables used for Insalata di riso that is only available during the summer, called condiriso. This salad is very popular because it is easy to prepare, and it is believed that it tastes even better as it sits and marinates in its own juices. It is recommended to garnish Insalata…………………………………………………… di riso with a few hard-boiled eggs on top. We would pair it with a glass of Pinot Grigio.
Also Read: Medieval ‘Wine Windows’ Are Making A Comeback To Serve Drinks And Gelato
2. Gado Gado – An Indonesian Delicacy
Gado-Gado is an Indonesian salad of slightly boiled, blanched, or steamed vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, fried tofu, and tempeh (deep-fried fermented whole soybeans), and lontong (compressed rice cake cut into small cubes), served with a spicy peanut sauce dressing. As you can see, it is an entire meal in itself.
Apparently gado gado means ‘mix – mix’ in Indonesian, so that solves the mystery of how the salad is made. You just take all the yummy ingredients mentioned above and, well, mix-mix them up.
According to Wikipedia, it is one of the 5 national dishes of Indonesia! Wow, that’s something. So this summer if you are in the mood for some Indonesian food but you want to try something other than the famous Indonesian Nasi Goreng (yes, it is also one of the 5), just try some Indonesian mix-mix salad! You will definitely add it to your top 5 as well.
Must Read: Bali Is Set To Welcome Tourists In October
3. Salade Nicoise – A French Classic
A well-known creation and one of the most popular salads in the world, Nicoise (pronounced nee-waaz) traces its origin snack to Nice in France – as is evident by the name itself. Nice is also known as the capital of the French Riviera and is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in France. History has it that this dish was created in the 19th century a few decades after Nice separated from Italy and became a part of France. No doubt some trace of its Italian connection still lingers.
It’s a simple preparation consisting of hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, Nicoise olives, and tuna or anchovies, served with a little olive oil drizzled on these ingredients. Americans like it on a bed of lettuce and often add potatoes to the mix.
It is considered one of the best summer salads ever, delicious and nutritious at the same time. It’s a journey across the kitchens of the world that have seen many improvisations and additions – from red bell peppers to kalamata olives (as a substitute for Nicoise olives, if they are not readily available in your country) and even seasonal raw vegetables – depending on the region. Raw green beans are also quite popular as an add-on in many countries.
In India, tuna and anchovies are available from many leading frozen seafood producers, and so are all the rest of the ingredients. So, it’s something to try out as the summer temperature starts creeping up, to keep you cool and healthy. just go easy on the anchovies – they are extremely salty!
4. Tabbouleh, a Taste of Lebanon
Good news for the vegetarians – here is a salad that is as vegetarian as one could wish and as fresh as the morning dew. Tabbouleh is essentially a vegetarian salad made of chopped parsley, mint, bulgur onions, and tomatoes – seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Bulgur is a cereal typically found in the middle east and is the traditional ingredient in this salad, but in places where it is not available, semolina makes a more than adequate substitute.
Tabbouleh is originally a Lebanese creation and is in fact believed to be its national dish. So much so that it is a regular feature at most dinner tables and a must at every feast. There are Syrian and Moroccan versions of it as well, but the ownership of the original version is well and truly Lebanese.
While a visit to Lebanon in the near future may seem a little difficult, you can toss up this easy to make and refreshing salad at home and get what we call a taste of Lebanon right at your home.
Must Read: Waking Up to Vegetarian Food in Turkey
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