Salads: Innovative Main Courses, Appetizers, Desserts, and More

Salads are at long last taking center stage in the kitchen and around the table.

Not just a side dish anymore, they have become light, wholesome meals that satisfy even the heartiest of appetites, showcasing seasonal vegetables, grilled meats, cheeses, and more. In Salads, celebrated chef Peter Gordon provides endless inspiration for the perfect warm-weather dish through combinations of fresh flavors and contrasting textures. Each chapter is brimming with both classic and novel approaches to the main-course salad based on vegetables, cheese, meat, poultry, and fish, and there are even chapters devoted to canapé and dessert salads. Refreshing new combinations include:

•Watermelon, Feta, and Basil Salad with Pumpkin Seeds on Shrimp Crackers

•Crayfish, Avocado, Grapefruit, and Ginger Salad

•Poached Chicken, Hazelnut, Watercress, and Pea Salad

•Thai-Style Beef Salad with Cilantro, Mint, Lime, and Peanuts

•Broiled Banana and Mango Salad with Vanilla-Poached Peach


In addition to his irresistible recipes, Gordon identifies the essential elements of an ideal salad, offering ways to add “crunch,” advice on seasonings, and a range of garnishes and basic dressings. Packed with stunning photographs and Gordon’s accessible, down-to-earth techniques, Salads breathes new life into this classic dish.