Finally, it looks like the warmer weather has arrived and its time to make a meal of salads. This warm lamb salad with a Thai Style salad dressing is ideal for days when you want something light but tasty.
When the weather's cold I cannot get away with serving a salad for a main meal. My boys just won't have it. But now that the days are getting longer, and in fact only a couple of weeks off the longest day of the year, they no longer feel "cheated" of a real meal when I give them a salad for dinner.
Growing up, salad meant lettuce, tomato and cucumber and perhaps if I was lucky a couple of spring onions and some salad cress. Not any more! Salads have so much more to offer now, from unusual vegetables and a variety of leaves to interesting grains. I love serving salads in the summer, so I have already shared a few Salad Recipes Made Easy.
One of my most popular recipes at the moment is Beetroot, Squash and Feta Salad its substantial enough to satisfy the heartiest of appetites as a main meal and in smaller quantities makes an interesting side dish too. My Barley and Roasted Vegetable Salad and Tabbouleh with Quinoa use grains to make them satisfying and they are proving very popular too.
A salad influenced by Thai flavours
For this salad, I have looked to Thailand for inspiration and used a Thai influenced salad dressing to add interest to this warm lamb salad. I've also added coriander, mint and basil leaves to add interest to the leafy part of the salad. All herbs used widely in Thai cooking. Thai basil is different from the more readily available Italian sweet basil but both will work in this dish.
A kick from the chilli and a lightly sweet/sour dressing will certainly get your taste buds zinging. The salad will serve two as a main dish or four as a starter.
On hot days I don't feel the need to add anything else but if you want some carbs with your salad you could add some cooked rice noodles. Not very Thai but a few warm baby new potatoes would also make a lovely addition.
When serving warm salads it is important that you prepare all the ingredients first before starting on the cooked element of the dish. If you don't you risk the ingredients of the salad that should be warm being cold or worse the leafy salad elements wilting and becoming soggy after being left around too long before serving. Once the ingredients are prepared then it will be quick and easy to complete.
Warm Lamb Salad with a Thai Style Dressing Step by step
Warm Lamb salad with a Thai Style DRessing
Ingredients
Salad
- 250 g lean lamb
- 100 g beansprouts
- 1 small red onion
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed or olive oil
- 50 g rocket or baby spinach leaves
- 15 g coriander leaves
- 15 g mint leaves
- 15 g basil leaves
Dressing
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 teaspoon dark muscovado sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon rapeseed or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 red chilli seeded and chopped
Instructions
- First prepare the ingredients for the salad. Trim the lamb and cut into thin strips. wash and drain the beansprouts, slice the onion.
- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk together with a fork.
- Heat the oil for the salad in a frying pan or wok and fry the lamb over a high heat for 2 – 3 minutes until browned on all sides.
- Add the onion and stir fry for about 2 minutes until just beginning to soften but still retaining some bite.
- Toss in the bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute.
- Meanwhile, toss together the rocket or spinach and the herbs. Add the dressing and toss to coat the leaves.
- Add the ingredients from the pan and toss with the leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Happyfoodie says
Couldn’t follow the recipe to a t, as i didn’t have all the ingredients but I used it as inspiration to make a Thai inspired lamb salad (the dressing is very very good!!). There was a little bit of prep involved but it all came together quickly. Hubby said we can have this one again 🙂 definitely recommend you try this recipe out.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Glad you were able to adapt to what you had and enjoyed the dressing.
Rebecca - Glutarama says
I love warm salads and frankly with the weather we've had recently a warm lamb salad will do just the job. Thank you for sharing and having me host #CookBlogShare xx
Lou | Crumbs & Corkscrews says
I love that salads are no longer just tomato, lettuce and cucumber; there are so many different styles and flavours, and this one sounds amazing. The flavours are a perfect thai combination. Will be adding to our summer salad list to try 🙂 #cookblogshare
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you yes thankfully those salad days are long gone
Donna says
I'm not sure I've ever had lamb on a salad. This sounds really lovely, and certainly with the thai inspired dressing. #CookBlogShare
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
now you mention it I cant think I have had it in many but it works well so not sure why not
Balvinder says
This is a lovely recipe. We often eat salad for dinner with meat. In fact, i am soon going to post a recipe for salad as I have so much lettuce, radish and cucumber growing in our garden.
Mandy says
I love summer salad season - let's just hope this weather improves so we get more sunshine than we have over the last few weeks! The Thai dressing sounds particularly good.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
ahh yes some sunshine would be good I have a few salad recipes to share.