This is one of my all-time favourite salads. It’s full of flavour, packed with goodness and so quick and easy to throw together. Better still, everything gets mixed up in one bowl, so there’s hardly any washing up.
This recipe is from Emily English’s first cookbook, So Good, and it’s so good by name and so good by nature! I’m completely obsessed with Emily’s recipes and this is one I come back to again and again. They’re not diet recipes by any stretch. Emily’s philosophy is all about moderation, mindfulness and enjoying delicious food without unnecessary restrictions.
I’ve been making Emily’s recipes since last September when I decided it was time to get a grip on my health. Since then, we’ve eaten her recipes most days and we’ve both lost weight. I’ve lost almost 30kg.
Recently I caught up with a friend I hadn’t seen for over a year. After we’d spent ages chatting, she finally asked, “So tell me, how did you really lose all that weight? Did you go on the jabs?” My answer? I simply pointed to Emily’s three cookbooks on the shelf. The weight loss has been a lovely bonus but the biggest gift has been feeling so much healthier and happier.
I’ll be honest, this salad is a bit of a fugly one. It’s definitely not winning any beauty contests, but don’t let that put you off. As with all of Emily’s recipes, it’s packed with flavour and incredibly satisfying. Just add everything to a bowl, whisk together the dressing, toss it all together and tuck in. I love the creamy Greek yoghurt, honey and mustard dressing. It’s rich, tangy and, look, no oil!
This recipe isn’t just easy and economical, it’s incredibly versatile too. Feel free to swap the chickpeas for your favourite tinned beans (I personally love cannellini), swap the tuna for your favourite protein and, if you don’t like pickles (how could you not?!) use fresh cucumber instead.
Even with those swaps, this recipe comes in at under 350 calories and around 34g of protein per serving. Now that’s what I call a winner!
What’s your favourite salad? And are you Team Pickle like me or would you swap them for fresh cucumber?
Serves 1 (easily doubled)
Ingredients
1 generous handful of rocket leaves
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of drained tinned chickpeas
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large pickle, finely diced
1 tablespoon capers
1 x 125g cans tuna in spring water, drained
1/4 medium avocado, diced
15g feta cheese
FOR THE DRESSING
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon American mustard
1 teaspoon honey
juice of 1 lemon
How to
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
- Plop the yoghurt, mustard, honey and lemon juice on top, season well with salt and pepper, then toss everything together until creamy and well coated.
- Dive in and enjoy!
