Tunisian Salad Recipes

TUSCAN SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tender. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain the green beans.
• In a large bowl, combine the green beans with the lettuce, cannellini beans, olives, and red onion. Toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

SALAD MECHOUIA (TUNISIAN SALAD)

Steps:

• Prepare a grill to medium-high heat.
• Thread garlic cloves onto a metal skewer. Put garlic skewer, tomatoes, onions, peppers, chile, and eggplant on grill rack. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred all over, 6-7 minutes for garlic and tomatoes; 10 minutes for eggplant; 15 minutes for peppers and chile; 20 minutes for onions.
• Place peppers and chile in a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes.
• Coarsely chop tomatoes and eggplant. Peel and coarsely chop onions. Peel garlic cloves. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop peppers and chile.
• Place all vegetables in a food processor, along with oil, pulsing until pureed to desired consistency. Transfer to a large bowl. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

TUNISIAN SALAD

Steps:

• Peel and chop apples and vegetables very fine.
• Mix dressing and pour over salad.
• Let stand at least 2 hours before serving.

TUNISIAN GRILLED SALAD (SELATA MISHWIYA)

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, garlic, harissa, ras el hanout, ground chile pepper, salt, and pepper in a mortar; mash into a paste with a pestle.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place tomatoes, green bell peppers, onion, and green chile peppers on the baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler, turning occasionally, until skins have blackened and insides are soft, about 10 minutes. Cool until easily handled, about 5 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop into small pieces.
• Place tomato mixture in a large bowl. Stir in garlic paste mixture slowly with a wooden spoon. Spoon onto a serving platter. Garnish with tuna, eggs, and olives. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over platter. Arrange remaining wedges on the sides.

TUNISIAN CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• Cook carrots in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
• Stir oil, cumin and cayenne in heavy large skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add carrots, then 1/2 cup water and vinegar. Simmer over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Cool. Mix in cilantro. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

TUNISIAN GRILLED SALAD

Steps:

• This dish can be made on the BBQ or on the Gas Hob, or using a kitchen blow torch. The method I will refer to uses the gas hob.
• Wash all the vegetables well leaving the skin on. Place inside the BBQ wire grilling cage or if you're feeling adventurous directly onto a wire cake rack set over the largest burner of your gas hob set at a medium flame.
• You may have to do this in batches but basically you want to blacken and blister the skin on the vegetables, charring them. Once they are evenly charred/blackened all over remove them from the heat and place them inside a ziplock bag. Leave them in there until all the vegetables have been charred. This makes the skins of the tomatoes and chillies slip off easily.
• Take the vegetables out and slip of the skins of the tomato and place them into a bowl, do the same for the green chillies. Remove the papery skin from the garlic and onion and then roughly chop the vegetables before either blitzing them together in a food processor, being careful not to do this too finely or using a hand mouli push them through to get a nice even consistancy. Alternatively you can do this using a large chopping board and good sharp knife, running your knife through them and mixing as you go on the board until it all comes together evenly
• Next add the turmeric, salt and ground black pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon and a couple of tablespoons of really good olive oil. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasoning if required. Maybe more oil, maybe more lemon - the oil has to be good and this is an oil salad. If its too think you can add a little cold water but I never need to as I always leave the tomato seeds in giving more flavour and more juice.
• To serve add optional tuna or boiled egg and lots of crusty bread which you dip and scoop the yummy salad with. Fantastic with grilled lamb chops, chicken, or fish. Excellent spread onto a baguette and then loaded with cooked leftover roast chicken. Fab as a relish with burgers and however else you fancy it. I use mild large green chillies but you could always use a couple of fat green chillies and temper the flavour with a red/green or orange sweet pepper to add a more subtle note of heat.