Our simple Tossed Salad takes a trip to Tunisia with the addition of our zingy Harissa dressing. A great salad to serve with A warming tagine or a family BBQ.
The Harissa dressing for this tossed salad came about because I was curious to see how Harissa would work in a salad and created this recipe to see how it works – try it and see for yourself.
Harissa is a Tunisian blend of chillies and spices and it is one of my family's favourite spice pastes. We use it a lot on barbecued lamb cutlets with mint and lemon as well as on roasted meats and vegetables – sensational! Try our version of Harissa Paste!
You Will Need
How to Make It
Step 1 - Prep Your Vegetables
Rinse your salad leaves under cold running water, then either pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or spin in a salad spinner to remove excess water.
Wash, peel and trim your cucumber and carrots then cut into rounds.
For the carrots slice them thinly using a mandoline/v-slicer and for your cucumber into thick rounds, approximately 1cm (½ inch) thick.
Rinse your mini Roma tomatoes, pat dry then cut them in half.
Wash and peel your avocado then cut into large cubes.
Step 2 - Make the Harissa Dressing
Add your oil, lemon juice and Harissa to your taste – anywhere from ½ teaspoon for very mild to 2 teaspoons for extra hot. Season with some salt and pepper then shake until emulsified.
Step 3 - Assemble the Salad
In a large mixing bowl add all your prepared vegetables and sunflower seeds.
If you are serving the salad immediately pour over the dressing, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper and toss until everything is well coated with the dressing.
I was taking this salad to a friend’s BBQ so I served the dressing on the side and then simply added it to the salad and tossed it at the last minute.
Some Serving Suggestions 🍽
Tossed salad is good with just about everything, I made this one to take to a friend’s BBQ and added the Harissa dressing at the last minute. If you would like to try some more Tunisian recipes…
This salad is also great with...
- Kebabs or souvlaki
- Shawarma
- Lamb kofta
Tips and Questions
What Makes a Tossed Salad?
- A tossed salad is flavoursome and made by tossing salad greens and vegetables in a dressing or a vinaigrette. It will usually contain lettuce, tomato and cucumbers.
- In our version, we have also included thinly sliced crisp carrots, some crunchy sunflower seeds, and creamy avocado and dressed it with a zingy Harissa vinaigrette.
- It is easy to put together it is just a case of washing and cutting your vegetables, shaking your dressing ingredients in a jar then tossing everything together.
Can I Make It Less Spicy?
- You can easily adjust the heat for your dressing by adding more Harissa or using less.
Can I Make the Salad Ahead of Time?
Prepare the salad ingredients in advance, but toss them with the harissa vinaigrette just before serving to maintain freshness and texture.
How Do I Store the Leftover Salad?
- This is really a make it and eat it now salad as the lettuce will go limp.
- If you discard the lettuce and store the remaining ingredients in an air-tight container in the fridge, then you could add some fresh greens and toss to eat the the following day.
Try Some More of Our Tossed Salads
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Salad Spinner
- Mandoline or V-Slicer
Ingredients
- 90 grams mixed salad leaves (approximately 3 cups)
- 1 carrot (approximately 120 grams)
- 1 medium cucumber (approximately 120 grams)
- 300 grams mini Roma tomatoes (1 large punnet)
- 1 large avocado (approximately 200 grams)
- 2 tbsps Coriander (cilantro) leaves (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsps lemon juice
- 1 tsps Harissa paste (make it ½ teaspoon for mild or 2 tsps for hot)
Instructions
- Wash and dry your salad leaves, then wash your mini Roma tomatoes, pat dry and cut them in half lengthwise.
- Wash trim and peel your carrots and cucumber then cut them rounds (thin for the carrots and thick for the cucumbers).
- Add all ingredients for the dressing in a glass jar, season and shake until emulsified.
- Place all your prepared vegetables in a large mixing bowl, add the chopped coriander and sunflower seeds, pour over the dressing, season and toss until everything is well coated with the dressing.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and serve immediately.
