German salads.

Now the thing is so far there has been a lot of well what you could call very hearty food so far in this month. And that is the thing every one, or is it just me thinks of solid food, filling. Well there are a number of classic German salads as well that you can make. Most of them have a very clean and sharp taste to them, very refreshing. Now I think this is to do with all the picking and types of vegetables around at the time but I like them.

Any way here are there simple side salads that you can do.

Kohisalat or Gestamphe salat , German Cole Slaw

The main thing is you do not use mayonnaise, so with the sweet and sour dressing it really cuts threw and cleanses the plate , great at barbeques.

1 white cabbage or ½ white and half red

1 teaspoon salt

1 onion

1 red pepper

30ml/2floz cider vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small bunch Dill weed

A good pinch of celery seeds

Ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

Now to make this you have to slice your cabbage nice and thin and then add the salt. Really work the salt in and let it sit for about 15 minutes to let it cure that cabbage. Then make the dressing with the rest of the ingredients, add the onion and pepper sliced and toss it all together. Let it sit in the fridge to just marinade for a while toss once more just before serving .

Rohkostsalat or Red Cabbage and fruit Salad with Sour-Cream Dressing

For this you will need

1 Red cabbage

1 medium apple

1 tablespoon lemon juice

A handful of raisins

30ml/2floz pineapple juice

The juice of ⅛a lemon

A good pinch of salt  

1tbap sugar

30ml/2floz sour cream

Now with this one shred everything and add it to a blow toss it all together and let it sit for a while in the fridges then toss it before you serve it .

Grüne Bohnensalat green bean, radish and almond salad,

500g/1lb of fine green beans

50g/2oz sliced toasted almonds

4 radishes 

50ml/2flozOlive oil

50ml/2floz red wine vinegar

2tsp German mustard

Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Super quick blanch the beans and then refresh them in cold water, you still want a good crunch in them after cooking. Slice the radishes as thin as you can then make the dressing and toss all the ingredients together.

And finally Gurken Salat or Cucumber Salad, this is a very popular salad in Germany I am told.  

2 Cucumber

50ml/2floz cup vinegar,

Dash of water 

50g/2oz sugar

2tbsvegetable oil

Peel and deseed your cucumbers then cut them in half then slice them nice and thing length ways. Place them in a blow. Melt the sugar in a little water and add it to the vinegar, along with the oil. Then add this dressing to the cucumbers and you have done.

Now all of these salads are very refreshing and have a sharp kick to them. And it is interesting to note how most of the dressing have more vinegar than an average salad dressing. But like all salad it is down to the oil and the vinegar of being a good quality and the vegetables being as fresh as they can be.