Sides and Salads Recipes - Mixed Salad with Lettuce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 crunchy lettuce, leaves separated

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

• 2 carrots, finely sliced

• 200g/7oz/1 cup bean sprouts

• 2 unripe star fruit, finely sliced

• 2 green bananas, finely sliced

• 1 firm papaya, cut in half, seeds removed, peeled and finely sliced

• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint and leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil

• juice of 1 lime

• dipping sauce, to serve

Serves 4-6

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Method:

1. Arrange the salad ingredients attractively on a large plate, with the lettuce leaves placed on one side so that they can be used as wrappers.

2. Squeeze the lime juice over the sliced fruits, particularly the bananas to help them retain their color, and place the salad in the middle of the table. Serve with a dipping sauce.

Traditionally, an Asian-style table salad is served to accompany spring rolls and pork or shrimp balls, where pieces of the salad might be wrapped around a meaty morsel. When served on its own, as here, the vegetables and fruit in this dish are usually folded into little packets using lettuce leaves or rice wrappers, and then dipped in a sauce, or added bit by bit to bowls of rice or noodles. The salad itself can vary from a bowl of fresh, leafy herbs to a more tropical combination of bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mangoes, bananas, star fruit, peanuts and rice noodles.

Cook's Tip: As this salad is meant to be eaten in the hand, supply guests with some napkins, plus finger bowls filled with warm water, Add  some lime and lemon slices to the water so that everyone can  freshen up afterwards.