Easy Eats Recipe: Chorizo Salad with Feta and Yoghurt Dressing

This recipe loosely steals its inspiration from the classic French salad nicoise. It’s hearty enough for dinner and uses delicious seasonal asparagus. Ideally, add the chorizo piping hot from the pan. The feta and yoghurt dressing is a departure from the traditional version but brings a lovely zing.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the salad:

350-400g baby potatoes

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, halved

2 cups salad leaves

2 radishes, sliced thinly

1/2 cup olives (or more as desired)

2 dried chorizo sausages (around 200g), sliced

Oil for frying

Small handful fresh mint leaves

For the dressing:

100g feta

½ cup Greek-style yoghurt

2 Tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup water

1 garlic clove, finely diced

Pinch salt

Cracked black pepper

Method

Place the potatoes in a medium pot. Cover with freshly boiled water from the kettle, then bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes, then drain in a colander. Carefully halve the hot potatoes and leave to cool for a few minutes while you prep the other elements.

Place the asparagus in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 2 minutes. Run under very cold water (iced water is even better) to cool as quickly as possible to retain the bright green colour.

Use a stick blender to blend all the dressing ingredients until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Alternatively, to create the dressing by hand, mash the feta with a fork and then whisk in the other ingredients.

Scatter the salad leaves on a large platter to serve or divide between individual plates if you prefer. Add the potatoes, asparagus, radish slices and olives.

Heat a saute pan over a medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Fry the chorizo slices until browned on both sides. Add this to the salad, nestling the slices between the other elements.

Drizzle the dressing over the top, serving the rest of it on the side.

Garnish with a handul of fresh mint leaves and a bit of cracked black pepper.

 

Kelly Gibney is an Auckland-based food writer, photographer and cookbook author. Her latest book ENJOY: Food worth sharing with the people you love shares delicious and achievable ideas for making every meal memorable. She also shares weekly recipes via her newsletter. 

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