If I could give a salad a vague New Year’s resolution, it would be to have intent. I love a salad with a bit of heft and structure, rather than a smattering of greens that have a 0.5-second shelf life in our summer heat. I am constantly seeking robust salads, particularly ones I can make in batches, so I have leftovers on hand for the return to work or to help myself overcome what’s-for-dinner? fatigue during busy weeks.

The following salads are exactly that. They are full of grains and heartier ingredients, so they relish an overnight stay in the fridge and survive the trip to work the following day, while staying fresh and full of delight.

Agrodolce-style chicken and rice salad with lemon and garlic yoghurt

Aim for about one chicken thigh per serve for this salad, so you can scale up and down as much as you need, and to ensure you have leftovers for the next day.

Agrodolce is a broad Italian term for a sweet-and-sour sauce made with a combination of onions, garlic, vinegar, sugar and raisins. I’ve borrowed from this tradition to make a lively dressing that coats the grains and chicken beautifully.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 chicken thighs (or 1½ cups shredded cooked chicken meat)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (warm or cold)
• 1 cup mixed herbs, chopped

Agrodolce dressing

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced
• sea salt flakes
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1½ tbsp caster sugar
• 75g pine nuts, toasted
• 3 tbsp currants

Lemon and garlic yoghurt

• ½ cup Greek-style yoghurt
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

Method

1. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and fry the chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool then slice or shred the chicken.
2. Add the chicken to a bowl with the brown rice and herbs, and toss gently to combine.
3. To make the agrodolce dressing, add the olive oil to the frying pan and return to medium heat. Add the sliced onion with a pinch of sea salt flakes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often to ensure it doesn’t take on too much colour. Add the vinegar, lemon juice and sugar and simmer for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced. Add the pine nuts and currants and cook for 1 minute, or until the nuts are golden. Remove from the heat and allow the dressing to cool slightly before adding to the bowl of chicken and rice.
4. Toss gently to combine and check for seasoning. Turn out into a serving bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the yoghurt, lemon juice and zest and garlic, and then drizzle over the rice salad upon serving.

Serves 3-4

Chickpea, brown rice and greens salad with creamy harissa dressing

This salad improves with a good sit in the fridge. The key to its longevity and success is to coat the chickpeas and grains only very lightly with dressing, and serve with more dressing when you are ready to eat.

Ingredients

• 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (warm or cold)
• 1 small bunch kale, large stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup sultanas

Creamy harissa dressing

• 2 tbsp tahini
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp rose harissa
• pinch sea salt flakes
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 3-4 tbsp iced water

Method

1. Combine the chickpeas, brown rice, kale, herbs and sultanas in a bowl and toss together.
2. To make the dressing, add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz to combine. If the dressing seems too thick, add more water to thin to a dressing-like consistency.
3. Add enough dressing to the rice and chickpeas just to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve and drizzle over additional dressing.

Serves 4

Amatriciana-ish cous cous salad

The beauty of this salad lies in its adaptability; add chilli and whatever deli-style goods you might have lurking in your fridge. It also loves a smattering of parmesan, if you happen to have it on hand.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 400g can finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 cup pitted green Sicilian olives
• ½ cup smoked semi-dried tomatoes
• 500g moghrabieh or pearl cous cous
• small handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• small handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ cup smoked almonds, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for five minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, capers, olives and semi-dried tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes or until the mixture has reduced. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the moghrabieh and cook for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. If using pearl cous cous, reduce this time to 8-10 minutes.
3. Drain the cous cous then add to the tomato mixture and toss to coat. Stir through the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer into bowls, top with the chopped almonds, and serve.

Serves 4-6

Lentil and tuna salad with honey Dijon dressing

This is a heavy-hitting serve of protein with the lentils and tuna making it a robust, dinner-worthy kind of salad.

Ingredients

• 250g French-style (green) lentils
• 2 large charred peppers (marinated capsicums), finely sliced
• ½ cup pitted black olives, sliced into rounds
• 250g tinned smoked tuna

Honey Dijon dressing

• 2 tbsp honey Dijon mustard (or 1 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp mild Dijon mustard)
• juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup olive oil

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, add the lentils and simmer until tender (20-25 minutes). Strain and transfer to a bowl. Add the sliced charred peppers and the olives. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently.
2. To make the dressing, add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
3. To serve, scoop the lentil mix into a bowl, top with some tuna, drizzle with dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4