Salad recipes

Cold chewy noodles with shredded chicken and silky egg strips in spicy Sichuan dressing. This make-ahead Chinese salad is perfect for hot summer nights, ready in an hour.

Crispy baked tortilla baskets shaped in a brioche pan. Just oil and a flour tortilla, baked golden at high heat for a crunchy edible bowl for salads and fillings.

Minted peaches and melons is a fresh summer fruit salad of ripe peaches and cantaloupe in a light orange-lemon dressing, finished with chopped mint and toasted almonds. No cooking, and easy to make ahead.

Retro molded tuna salad with black olives, hard-boiled eggs, toasted almonds, and a creamy lemon-spiked mayo-sour cream dressing set with gelatin. A stunning cold lunch or party centerpiece.

Crispy dried pear chips made by slicing pears paper-thin, dipping in simple syrup, and slow-baking until dehydrated. A two-ingredient snack and elegant garnish for desserts, salads, and cheese boards.

Broccoli with roasted red peppers tossed in a quick water saute with sliced garlic and fresh marjoram. A bright, oil-free Mediterranean side that doubles as a warm salad with a squeeze of lemon.

Delicious Pan-fried fillet of seabass on grilled asparagus with mustard seed, mango and toasted coconut salad, served with a glass of Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, £8.49 from Asda, Thresher, Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco

This easy roasted garlic paste is so versatile and delicious, it can be spread over the pizza crust, bread, or even mixed with pasta salad. It brings the garlic and roasting flavors at the same time, but without the spiciness from the raw garlic.