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Nigerian salad
Nigerian salad: the party bowl of lettuce, cabbage, sweetcorn, baked beans and egg under salad cream
At owambe parties in Lagos and Ibadan, and on Christmas and Sallah tables right across the country, a big glass bowl of Nigerian salad sits next to the jollof and fried rice, piled in neat stripes of shredded lettuce, cabbage, carrot, sweetcorn, baked beans and sliced egg, then smothered in creamy salad cream. It is cool, crunchy and slightly sweet, the thing everyone reaches for between spoonfuls of peppery rice and chicken. Salad cream contains egg and mustard, so mention it to anyone with allergies. The common mistake is dressing it hours ahead: the cabbage and lettuce weep and the bowl turns watery, so layer it ahead but pour the dressing on just before serving. Many party versions add ham or corned beef; this one keeps it vegetarian. Chef's tip: soak the shredded lettuce and cabbage in iced water for ten minutes and spin them completely dry; they stay squeaky-crisp all evening.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the salad
- ½ iceberg lettucefinely shredded
- 9 oz white cabbagevery finely shredded
- 2 carrotspeeled and grated
- 1 cucumberhalved, seeded and sliced
- 2 tomatoesseeded and diced
- 7 oz tinned sweetcorndrained
- 14 oz baked beans in tomato sauce1 tin, chilled
- 4 eggs
- ½ red onion (optional)sliced into thin rings
For the dressing
- ¾ cup salad creamcontains egg
- 3 tbsp mayonnaisecontains egg
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Lower 4 eggs into a pan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, then move them to cold water. Peel when cool; the yolks should be firm right through with no grey ring.
10 minStep 2: Drop ½ iceberg lettuce and 9 oz white cabbage into a large bowl of iced water for 10 minutes, then drain and spin or pat completely dry. Wet leaves are the reason party salad goes soggy.
10 minStep 3: Spread the leaves over the base of a wide serving bowl. Arrange 2 carrots, 1 cucumber, 2 tomatoes and 7 oz tinned sweetcorn in stripes or rings on top so each colour shows.
Step 4: Spoon 14 oz baked beans in tomato sauce into the centre in a neat mound, with a little of their sauce. Slice the eggs into rounds and lay them around the edge, then scatter ½ red onion if using.
Step 5: Cover and chill for up to 4 hours. Whisk ¾ cup salad cream with 3 tbsp mayonnaise until smooth.
Step 6: Just before serving, pour the dressing over or pass it in a jug so guests can add their own. Toss at the table, and keep the bowl in the shade or the fridge between helpings.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nigerian salad take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of iceberg lettuce?
- Any crisp salad leaves, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
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Perfect for:Party & potluck