Red, green, yellow. Add crunch and spikes of flavour for a cooling braai salad to offset the heaviness of the meat and potatoes. This is a good salad to make a little ahead, for flavours to develop.

Listen to this article 5 min Listen to this article 5 min A good braai salad needs simplicity. Simple cooking techniques such as blanching make the difference, providing crunch without certain ingredients necessarily being raw. A dressing that turns that same salad into something memorable can be whipped up in a minute. And always check the crisper to see what can be used in a salad without any fuss.

A carrot can be sliced into thin strips, or grated, as can beetroot, adding extra crunch to a salad. Celery is a cert for adding that extra something. A mielie (corn on the cob) can be steamed for 10 minutes, cooled, and the kernels cut away to be thrown into a salad mix.

I always check the crisper for leftover this or that. A few unused green beans or peas in their pods can be blanched in boiling water for a minute, refreshed under cold water and drained. Do the same with broccoli florets or even cauliflower. And if you happen to spot fresh asparagus spears at the greengrocer, grab some, give them the quickest blanching, refresh, and scatter them on top of the salad for a stylish finish.

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