Nuts about salad? Or do you only eat your greens because you have to? Either way, let us tempt you with these mouthwatering mixed leaf dishes.
If you’ve overdosed on brunches and your belt is fastened on its loosest hole (and still a bit snug), then it’s time to take action. The gym can only do so much if you’re regularly consuming quadruple your calorie intake – unless you’re running a marathon every day to burn it off.
This is where Zeina El-Hoss, a dietitian with a degree in nutrition and dietetics, steps in. She works for Live’ly, a nutritional catering service that also offers weight management support. She says, ‘Salad is a great combination of vitamins and minerals that’s rich in fibre and fluids. Add protein in the form of eggs, tuna or chicken and carbohydrates such as sweet potato or quinoa – a grain high in protein – and you have a balanced meal.’
But what if you hate salad? ‘You can make all sorts of salad,’ Zeina reassures us. ‘You needn’t restrict yourself to lettuce, cucumber and tomato. Throw in figs, goat’s cheese, lentils or barbecued chicken to liven it up. Remember salads can also be cooked – just use a little oil – and you can enjoy them as a side or as a main.’
Excessive oil and creamy dressings are a no-go if you’re watching your weight, but Zeina warns of other hidden dangers: ‘Cheese is a big source of hidden fat, so limit your intake to a chunk the size of a matchbox. Watch out for protein such as chicken marinated in fattening sauces, sugar in dressings, and croutons, which are often loaded in saturated-fat-laden butter.’
Believe it or not, even salad ingredients can be in vogue. Prawn cocktail was all the rage in the 1970s, but now if you want to be a trendy diner, according to Zeina you need to be seen eating quinoa or colourful wedges of fruit. If you’re not already going bananas for salads, you will be once you get a taste of these…
Fruity salads
Adding fruit to a savoury salad results in a zingy dish, and the sweetness of the fruit complements salty cheese or meat. Try these beauties…
We love the blue cheese and pear salad at Shakespeare and Co, which comes with dried cranberries and surprise slivers of candied orange peel, balancing the dish’s strips of dried beef bacon and scoops of melted of blue cheese. If you want a veggie option, try the quinoa and grilled veg salad, which comes with pomegranate dressed in pesto and a lemon and balsamic vinaigrette. Both salads are Dhs46. Shakespeare and Co, various locations including behind Deerfields Townsquare Mall, E10/Abu Dhabi-Dubai Road, Al Bahiya, www.shakespeare-and-co.com (02 563 5010).
While we wouldn’t ordinarily drizzle pesto on kiwi, when the two ingredients are put together in a Soulfull All Green salad, it works. This salad’s as healthy as they get – it’s packed with avocado, mange tout, mint, parsley and romaine lettuce, with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Dhs32. Soulfull, Muroor Road, Green Emirates Building, www.soulfull.ae (02 643 3669).
The watermelon, Greek feta cheese and red onion salad at Beach House will cool you down on hazy days. A veggie option, it’s free from nuts, eggs, sugar, wheat and gluten, so you know it’s healthy. Dhs65. Beach House, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, www.abudhabi.park.hyatt.com (02 407 1138).
Unusual salads
Blood orange, dandelion leaves and raspberry vinegar? All perfectly acceptable ingredients in an unusual salad. But if you prefer someone else to do the chopping, then these venues will be happy to pimp up your greens…
Americans know how to do a decent salad. Often drenched in creamy dressing, peppered with croutons and hidden under layers of cheese, no one’s pretending they’re healthy – but they are good. Try the Caribbean chicken salad at Fuddrucker’s and you’ll see what we mean. Generous portions of red, black and white tortilla strips rest on lettuce, pico de gallo (a Mexican salsa), pineapple chunks and tomatoes; it’s drenched in honey and mustard dressing and comes with grilled chicken and a side of homebaked Texas toast. Dhs35. Fuddruckers, Level one, Marina Mall, Breakwater, www.fuddruckers.com (02 681 8160).
All the ingredients at Slices are organic, so rest assured your leaves won’t be saturated in artificial nasties. The Asian salad is a bit different: it comes with noodles, mango, bean shoots, mange tout, peppers and red cabbage, with a satay dressing. Dhs25. Slices, various locations including Al Mamoura Building B, Al Nahyan, off Muroor Road, between 13th and 15th Streets, www.slices.ae (02 491 8599).
Build-your-own salads
When it comes to salad, most of us have a pet hate. So if you can’t stand celery or always pick out the coriander, DIY salads are the way to go. Here are our favourites…
A main salad at Nolu’s Cafe includes two types of green leaves, eight toppings and a dressing. Herbs come free but you have to pay extra for protein and more of the 43 available toppings. You may well get carried away, so expect this option to be the most expensive salad you’ve ever had – but it could well be the best. We recommend grilled shrimp, artichokes, avocado, goat’s cheese and halloumi sprinkled with black olives, edamame and cubes of boiled potato, served on a bed of spinach in a lemon vinaigrette. Go hungry, or with a friend.
From Dhs80. Nolu’s Cafe, Al Bandar, www.noluscafe.com (02 557 9500).
At The One you can choose from 39 ingredients. Veggies can choose five vegetable-based toppings plus two extras (such as goat’s cheese) while carnivores can go for one protein and three veg. Both options come with a dressing – try the avocado, buttermilk and herb, or the Cajun buttermilk if you like a hint of spice. You can ask them to come on the side if you prefer. Dhs49. The One, Al Khalidiyah, opposite Children’s Park,
www.theone.com (02 681 6500).
Salad bars
Move over Subway – you ain’t got nothin’ on these salad bars…
The salad bar at Chamas’ buffet is one of the best in town. Highlights include the Brazilian chicken salpicao salad and tropical salad, while pescetarians will love the smoked trout in olive oil, calamari vinaigrette and pickled octopus and herring. Dhs130 for salad bar. Chamas, InterContinental, Bainouna Street, www.dining-intercontinental-ad.ae (02 666 6888).
Head to Ingredients on Wednesdays for seafood night and you can gorge on prawn and papaya salad, crab salad, marinated sardines, salmon and tuna carpaccio and ceviche, a Peruvian dish made with raw seafood, chopped onion and salsa, all doused in zingy lime. Dhs240 with soft drinks, Dhs320 with grape and hops. Ingredients, Eastern Mangroves by Anantara, Salam Street, www.abu-dhabi.anantara.com (02 656 1000).
Most of the locally sourced salad items at Origins are organic. These include: lettuce, tomato, cucumber, aubergine, peppers, cherry tomatoes and spring onions. Feast on Arabic mezze and Greek feta. Dhs140 lunch, Dhs168 dinner. Origins, Yas Viceroy, Yas Island, www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com (02 656 0600).
