Alright, it's time for my favourite weekend lunch treat!
This one is spicy, crunchy and ridiculously fresh.
Think classic chopped salad meets a generous hit of Sriracha, topped with perfectly soft poached eggs.
The secret to this salad? Chop everything super fine. You want all those flavours coming together in every mouthful – the salty olives, tangy pickles, fresh vegetables and that lovely Sriracha kick. It's a little symphony of flavours.
Prep: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Cooking: 4 minutes for the eggs
Ingredients
The salad
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4 large eggs
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1 cup cos lettuce, finely chopped
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½ cucumber, finely diced
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½ red capsicum, finely diced
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½ onion, finely diced
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10 Kalamata olives, finely diced
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2 dill pickles, finely diced
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1 tomato, finely diced
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1 avocado, diced
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1–2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (or as much as you like)
Method
1. Get your eggs ready
Boil some water in the kettle, pour it into a shallow pan and bring it back to a gentle boil. Crack each egg into a small bowl before carefully sliding it into the water, one at a time.
Once all four eggs are in, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set a timer on your phone for 4 minutes. This should give you lovely soft eggs. If you prefer your yolks a little firmer, leave them for another minute.
(One small cooking note: the four-minute off-heat method can vary depending on pan size, water temperature and egg size, so check the whites have set before serving.)
2. Chop, chop, chop!
Finely chop the cos lettuce, cucumber, capsicum, onion, olives, pickles and tomato. Dice the avocado last so it stays nice and fresh.
Remember, the finer the chop, the better the flavour combination in every bite.
3. Bring the flavour
Add all your chopped vegetables to a large bowl. Add a generous tablespoon of Sriracha and toss everything together until it's nicely coated.
My favourite is Flying Goose Sriracha – it's got just the right amount of heat.
4. Finish with the eggs
Divide the salad between two bowls. Carefully lift your poached eggs out of the water, drain briefly and place them on top.
Break into those lovely soft yolks, give everything a gentle mix and you're ready to go!
Jase's tip
Don't be shy with the chopping. This isn't one of those salads where you want big chunks of everything.
The magic is getting a little bit of everything in every forkful.
And definitely don't skip the runny yolks – they mix with the Sriracha and vegetable juices to create an incredible natural dressing.
Enjoy!
Also if you have been a boy or girl this week and can give yourself and extra treat, it pairs well with a sourdough baguette and butter from your local bakery, if you are close to Ellerslie I recommend Oven Spring https://www.ellerslievillage.co.nz/village/oven-spring
