Citrusy cilantro gives zesty boost to fruit and vegetable salads

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This article was published 26/05/2021 (1983 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the official start of summer right around the corner and the weather teasingly offering hope of warmer days to come, you will want to try some new salads that are perfectly suited for the season.

Salads can feature everyday fruits and vegetables and still be made into spectacular dishes by infusing flavour into them.

How about cilantro? With its bright green hue, the herb is bound to perk up your salad, owing to its distinctive citrusy aroma and taste. As you chop the herb, you can’t miss its fresh, fragrant scent and its unique, lace-patterned leaves.

You may think salads need loads of dressings or oils to make them tasty. But incorporating herbs adds flavour and even more nutrition to your salad. Cilantro contains vitamins A, C and K, as well as minerals such as magnesium, iron and potassium, to name a few.

The entire herb, or plant, is known as coriander. The stems and leaves of the herb are often called cilantro in North America —the Spanish word for coriander — alternatively termed dhania in Indian cuisine, or Mexican and Chinese parsley in other cuisines.

The herb is used abundantly in Indian cooking, in salads, appetizers and main dishes. It is also a gorgeous garnish on top of Indian rice, meat and veggie dishes. In addition, cilantro is incorporated in Mexican, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Thai cuisines, among others.

For a salad, you just need a handful of cilantro strands, otherwise it can overpower your dish. You can use both the thin stems and soft leaves of the herb in your salad, since both are edible. The stems have a slight crunchiness, giving your salad an extra boost.

There is an art to cutting cilantro. To chop the herb, apply a gentle rocking motion with your knife, smoothly cutting back and forth repeatedly, until the cilantro is finely chopped. Ensure you wash the herb before cutting it, shake out any excess water; bunch up the strands of cilantro and chop them together. Use a sharp knife in order to not crush the herb and to maintain its crispness.

Some suggestions for a fruit-based salad using cilantro are to combine it with apples, pineapples, avocadoes or mangoes. For a vegetable-based salad, any combination of cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, radishes and red bell peppers will work well.

Whether you are making a salad for a barbecue or adding a salad dish to a meal this summer, be sure to include some cilantro. Its bright colour and zesty flavour will pack a punch to your salad sensation.

Here are two simple summer salads to try during the season:

Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 5 people

1 English cucumber, chopped

250 ml (1 cup) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

¼ red onion, chopped

Bunch of cilantro (8-10 strands), finely chopped

2 green chilis, or to taste, chopped

5 ml (1 tsp) lemon juice

2.5 ml (½ tsp) salt, or to taste

Mango Salad

Prep Time: 15 mins

Serves: 3 people

1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced

1-2 red chilis, or to taste, chopped

Bunch of cilantro (5-6 strands), finely chopped

2.5 ml (½ tsp) salt, or to taste

Directions for making both salads

Wash ingredients, where required.

Cut all ingredients, where required.

Mix all ingredients together in a salad bowl and lightly toss around. Let salad sit for 10-15 mins. Salad can be chilled for ½ hour or served immediately

Romona Goomansingh, PhD, is an educator and writer in Winnipeg.