Hear us out: we know 'creamy' and 'salad' sound contradictory. Aren't salads supposed to be healthy and isn't cream the opposite of healthy, you might ask, and you would easily be forgiven for asking that. This salad, however, is perfectly healthy while also being beautifully creamy, and that is all thanks to a humble yogurt dressing. Not only that, but the dressing also makes it nice and cold, which in turn means that it is perfect for the upcoming hot hot months that Pakistan is bringing us. In a way, this recipe could be thought of as a dupe for Russian Salads, which seem to be the staple of every Pakistani wedding. So if you're a Russian Salad fan who doesn't want to eat a cup of mayo, or if you're simply looking for a low-fuss, weather appropriate meal to make, look no further.
Ingredients:
Method:
This is a fairly straight forward recipe. Begin by boiling half a cup of any short pasta of your choice. While that boils, dice up your unpeeled apples, and put them in a bowl. You can peel them if you wish, but leaving the peel on adds an extra crunch and a healthy dose of fibre. Squeeze one small lemon over the apples and toss, so that they don't brown, and put them in the fridge. Next, dice up your cucumbers. Same thing: you can peel them if you wish, but if you leave them unpeeled means more fibre. Put those in the fridge too. Make life easier by using canned boiled chickpeas, so you don't have to go through the hassle of boiling and soaking them before. Next, in a big bowl, add one cup of yogurt and thoroughly whisk it till it's lump free. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of honey, all to taste. And then, it's simply a question of dumping the apples, cucumbers, chickpeas and drained pasta into the yogurt, giving it a good mix and popping it in the fridge before serving. Et voila, you have a creamy healthy salad. The best part, if you want to, you can add even more things. Olives, sun-dried tomatoes, raisins; the world is your oyster.
Ingredients:
- One cup of yogurt
- Two apples
- Two cucumbers
- Half a cup of boiled chickpeas
- Half cup boiled pasta of your choice
Method:
This is a fairly straight forward recipe. Begin by boiling half a cup of any short pasta of your choice. While that boils, dice up your unpeeled apples, and put them in a bowl. You can peel them if you wish, but leaving the peel on adds an extra crunch and a healthy dose of fibre. Squeeze one small lemon over the apples and toss, so that they don't brown, and put them in the fridge. Next, dice up your cucumbers. Same thing: you can peel them if you wish, but if you leave them unpeeled means more fibre. Put those in the fridge too. Make life easier by using canned boiled chickpeas, so you don't have to go through the hassle of boiling and soaking them before. Next, in a big bowl, add one cup of yogurt and thoroughly whisk it till it's lump free. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of honey, all to taste. And then, it's simply a question of dumping the apples, cucumbers, chickpeas and drained pasta into the yogurt, giving it a good mix and popping it in the fridge before serving. Et voila, you have a creamy healthy salad. The best part, if you want to, you can add even more things. Olives, sun-dried tomatoes, raisins; the world is your oyster.