Serves 4 – 6

Impress everyone around your table with this colourful and festive salad. The sweet, juicy berries go so well with creamy avocado and the nutty flavour of toasted macadamia nuts. A homemade dressing turns any salad into a scrumptious, elegant side dish. This dressing uses a combination of Westfalia Plain and Lemon Flavoured Avocado Oil with wholegrain mustard and fresh thyme. Serve on a large platter or in individual jars to pack for an outdoor meal.

INGREDIENTS

Salad dressing
30 ml (2 tbsp) Westfalia Plain Avocado Oil
30 ml (2 tbsp) Westfalia Lemon Flavoured Avocado Oil
20 ml (4 tsp) white wine vinegar, grape vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
10 ml (2 tsp) wholegrain mustard
15 ml (1 tbsp) each chopped fresh thyme and Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Salad
100 ml (40 g) macadamia nuts (see tips)
2-3 ripe avocados, quartered and thinly sliced
150 g white or red grapes, halved and seeds removed
¼ cucumber, thinly sliced
handfuls fresh berries, like raspberries or blueberries
large handfuls salad leaves and herbs, like baby spinach, rocket, basil or mint
1-2 slices feta, crumbled; or pecorino cheese, cut into shavings

METHOD

1. Salad dressing: Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.
2. Salad: Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes – take care as they can burn quite quickly. Allow to cool slightly and coarsely crush or chop.
3. Arrange salad ingredients on a large salad platter. Sprinkle with nuts and cheese and serve with the salad dressing. Alternatively, spoon salad ingredients in individual jars to pack for a picnic or an al fresco meal. Enjoy as a starter or side dish or see tips for more ideas.

KITCHEN TIPS

1. Use sunflower seeds instead of macadamia nuts or try the seed mixture from the Spicy Guacamole and rustic flatbreads recipe.
2. Turn this salad into a delicious gourmet starter or light meal by adding slivers of smoked salmon or trout. Pan-fried pork fillet or chicken, cut into strips, will also be delicious.
3. Goat’s cheese or ricotta will also work well with the flavours in this salad.
4. Try this recipe with any fresh seasonal fruit, like peaches, nectarines or watermelon instead of the berries or grapes.
5. For a subtle nutty flavour, substitute the plain avocado oil with Westfalia Macadamia Oil, if available.