Skip to the method
Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Green Salad with a Twist

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.77 from 13 ratings South African
This is a delicious green salad with a twist to serve as a side dishes for your lovely braai (BBQ) evening. It is very quick and easy, tasty and healthy. Other than your normal green salad most people serve with their braai, this is somewhat different. And what is a braai without a salad? This particular salad we used to make at our Braai (BBQ) evenings. We used to make Beetroot Side Salad for the Braai, as well as Cool Cucumber Salad for these Braai evenings.Other than our normal green salad we used to alternate the two. The fresh coriander leaves add delicious flavour to it together with the lemon flavour. Get the fresh coriander from your local nursery or supermarket. When you are busy making this green salad with a twist, you must remember to basically just add the veggies in the boiling water and immediately remove them. It is wise to keep a bowl of cold water with ice cubes and add them in there once taken out of the boiling water. The beautiful green colours of the veggies will keep looking vibrant green. And it will cool off in the cold water. It will prevent the veggies from cooking further and becoming that awful green colour. Mange tout (sugar peas) are these days a bit more expensive than a few years back, but you can definitely spoil your family with this lovely green salad with a twist. You can add delicious baby marrow strips (also lightly blanched) to add more veggies to the salad. Yuppy Chef has a very good tool to quickly make your baby marrows into spirals. Baby marrows are a lovely vegetable to work with and easy to chew!
A crisp mixed green salad featuring fresh garden vegetables and a vibrant zesty dressing.
Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min
Total 20 min
Serves 6

Jump to the method

Ingredients

  • 100 g fine green beans
  • 100 g frozen green peas (mange tout)
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • 1 handful chopped, fresh coriander
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 200 g baby marrow strips, OPTIONAL
  • 1-2 avocado pears, cut into blocks- OPTIONAL

Method

  1. Fill up your sauce pot with water, and bring to a boil

  2. In a separate bowl, fill up with cold water and ice cubes for the blanched veggies

  3. Drop the fine green beans (stems removed), sugar peas (mange tout) and frozen peas for approximately 30 seconds in the waterTIP: Blanche the baby marrows as well if you are using them and remove with a slotted spoon. Place in the water and ice cube bowl to cool down further

  4. Wash the lettuce leaves well and mix the blanched veggies lightly with the salad leaves

  5. Mix the olive oil, coriander leaves, zest and juice of the lemon to become a salad dressing

  6. Add salt and pepper to taste and lightly pour over the salad

  7. Add more black pepper turnings if desired

  8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and lemon wedges quarters.If pansies or nasturtiums (kappertjies) are available add beautiful eatable flowers to add some feminine touch

More starters