A collection of favourite salad recipes perfect for the summer!

At Hazendal estate we love to celebrate the freshest seasonal produce and nothing shows off the sun-kissed bounty from the Western Cape winelands like a vibrant summer salad.

For summer entertaining, these colourful health-boosting bowls are an ideal option: quick to throw together, and sure to impress with their delicious balance of flavours. 

Enjoy them as a delicious main course or as a memorable side.

*All images were taken by The Food Fox Ilse van der Merwe who we loved spending the day with. 

Grilled Halloumi & Peach Salad

Serves 4. Total preparation time 20 min

Ingredients:

100g mizuna

100g rocket

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and lightly grilled ( 2-3 minutes)

½ cup fresh mint leaf

½ cup chopped and pecan nuts, toasted

2 x peaches

½ small red onion

1 tbsp olive oil

250g halloumi, thickly sliced

For the Dressing:

1 x lemon, juiced 

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp honey 

Instructions:

Combine all the salad ingredients (with the exception of the halloumi cheese) in a large bowl.

Grease a skillet with olive oil and warm over medium heat.

Pat-dry the halloumi with kitchen towel and place onto the hot skillet.

Cook each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing and mix well.

Arrange salad portions onto four plates, top with warm halloumi and drizzle with the dressing.

Roast Aubergine and Lentil Salad

Serves 4. Total preparation time 1h30min 

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1½ cups water

1 large garlic clove, skin removed and crushed

Lemon peel

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs thyme 

2 sprigs rosemary

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 celery stick, cut into 3 or 4 chunky pieces 

Roast Aubergine:

2 medium (700g) aubergines 

2½ tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp salt and ground black pepper

Pomegranate Dressing:

2 tbsp lemon Juice

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp picked thyme leaves

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp Maldon salt 

½ tsp black pepper

Salad:

250g roast bell peppers, cut into pieces

100g Chevin goat’s milk cheese

100g caramelized onion

Instructions:

Lentils:

Rinse lentils under cold running water until the water runs clear. 

Place the lentil ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Cook for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain and pick out all the flavoring elements (garlic clove etc), and briefly rinse to remove grit.

Shake off excess water.

Roast Aubergine:

Pre-heat oven to 240°C.

Line a roasting tray with baking paper.

Cut aubergine into large cubes, place in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mix well and place onto roasting tray. Roast for 20 minutes.

Stir through and roast a further 10 minutes, the edges should be caramelised, soft on the inside, but not shriveled up. 

For The Salad:

Roast Bell Pepper:

2-3 red and yellow bell peppers, rubbed with olive oil.

Place under a grill, or roast over open flame, until the skin is mostly blackened, turning constantly to ensure it colours evenly.

Place in a bowl and cover with cling film to steam (about 15 minutes).

Remove skins and seeds, wipe off excess charring and cut into pieces.

Caramelised onions:

3-4 large onions, peeled and sliced

50g butter

Salt and pepper to taste 

2 tbsp golden brown sugar

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

Heat the butter in a saucepan until it begins to foam.

Add onions, salt and pepper and cook over a low heat stirring continually until the onions are golden brown and soft.

Add sugar and caramelise, add the balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced.

Remove from heat and leave to cool.

Dressing:

Combine all ingredients and mix well 

Assemble:

Add peppers and caramelised onion to lentils, along with most of the dressing. Mix well.

Pour onto a serving platter and pile on the roasted aubergine. 

Drizzle with remaining dressing and crumble goat’s chevin over the top.

*Note: this salad may be served warm or at room temperature. Wonderful with a side of fresh flatbreads. 

Grilled Mushroom, Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad

Serves 4. Total preparation time 30 min 

Ingredients:

1L water

400g farfalle pasta ribbons 

Salt 

250g mixed mushrooms, trimmed

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 handful freshly-picked basil leaves 

1 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp picked thyme leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste 

¼ cup crumbled Blue cheese

¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

For the Garlic Aioli:

½ cup Hellman's Mayonnaise 

4 cloves roast minced garlic, skin removed

1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley 

Instructions:

Bring water to a rolling boil, add salt and pasta

Cook for 10-12 minutes

Drain under cold running water to stop the pasta ribbons from over-cooking.

Set aside.

Toss the mushrooms in some olive oil, ½ tsp picked thyme leaves and season to taste. Heat a cast-iron grill skillet to medium-heat and start grilling mushrooms until done.

Mix together the crushed roast garlic, mayonnaise and parsley.

Add to the rest of the salad ingredients and mix well.

Top the salad with sliced spring onion and enjoy.

Olivier Salad

A signature dish of Hazendal’s Russian Tea Ceremony, this is also known as the Russian Salad, and is an icon on the estate's menus. 

This salad works extremely well as a meal on its own, or as part of a festive spread of salads and dips. 

Serves 4

For the salad:

2 large potatoes, diced into 3mm cubes

2 carrots, diced into 3mm cubes

2 eggs

250g peas

2 pickled cucumbers (dill cucumbers)

200g diced ham or cooked chicken breast (optional)

Salt 

Ground white pepper

For the dressing:

1½ cups Hellman’s Mayonnaise

Small bunch of dill, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Peel and dice the potatoes and carrots.

In two separate saucepans; bring lightly salted water to a boil.

Add potatoes and carrots to separate pots and cook until just done. Depending on the size of the dice, this should take 15 - 20 minutes.

Boil eggs for 8 minutes, after the potatoes and carrots.

Once done, place in cold water, shell and set aside.

Once the vegetables and eggs are cooked, dice the dill cucumbers to the same size as the potatoes and carrots.

Mix together in a large bowl with the peas.

The salad can be vegetarian or at this point you could add the diced ham or chicken. 

To make the dressing:

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well.

Pour over the salad ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Buckwheat ‘Vinegret’ salad

Adapted from the cookbook ‘Salt & Time: Recipes from a Russian kitchen’ by Alissa Timoshkina, this is a wonderful recipe to which the Hazendal chefs have made a few minor adjustments. 

Many popular Soviet dishes have their roots in French-inspired cuisine, and this ‘Vinegret’ salad is one of them.

Originating in the 18th-century as a dish consisting of diced game, boiled vegetables and a classic French vinaigrette, this salad takes its title from the transliterated* name of its dressing. 

* write or print (a letter or word) using the closest corresponding letters of a different alphabet or script.

Originally consisting of boiled root vegetables in sunflower oil, the dish has been simplified over the years, with the acidity of the dressing replaced by fermented cucumber and cabbage.

In Hazendal’s version of the salad some ingredients have been substituted to add vibrancy, body and texture, while still retaining the signature briny sharpness of the dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

200g roasted buckwheat

250ml salted boiling water

4 tbsp good-quality sunflower oil

2 red beetroot, washed

250g peas

2 dill cucumbers

4 tbsp sauerkraut

1 small chopped chili

2 cloves chopped garlic

Added to brine of the sauerkraut

Small bunch of dill, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: 

To cook the buckwheat: Place in a saucepan and pour over the salted boiling water, cover with a lid and simmer over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.

Stir through a splash of the sunflower oil and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Drizzle the beetroots with sunflower oil, wrap in foil and roast for 30-40 minutes. This will vary depending on their size, but they need to retain a slight crunch in their texture. 

Finely dice the dill cucumbers.

For the dressing:

Extract the brining liquid from the sauerkraut and mix with the chili, garlic and sunflower oil.

Taste and add salt if needed.

Once the beetroot is ready (pierce the middle with a knife to check), allow to cool. Then, peel and cut into wedges.

Mix all the ingredients together, adding the dill and lemon juice as well as the dressing to complete the dish.