The Best BBQ Side is a Salad

Most cultures around the world incorporate some form of barbecue into their cuisine. Whether spun on a spit, smashed onto a grill, smoked over applewood, or skewered over charcoal, the deliciousness that results from barbecue is a reflection of the labor, intuition, and tradition put into it. 

Fire is the leading actor in the great play that is barbecue. It’s elemental. Friction produces energy and ignites the oxygen in the air, creating a spark. Catching onto material, be it wood or charcoal, that spark produces embers, and given the right conditions, those embers can be fanned into flames, large and small. 

It sounds subversive, then, to suggest that the best accompaniment to barbecue is a salad. 

Stick with me here: The purpose of a good side dish is to provide a stark contrast to the main part of the meal itself. In visual art, negative space around a shape helps define it with more clarity.  When barbecue is the focus of a meal, what surrounds the flame-licked meat and vegetables must complement it, not overshadow it. 

Salads, at their best, pair well with the savory, charred tastes that traditional barbecue is known for. Salads are celebrations of freshness; they lean toward the tart and the herby. Just as burgers and hot dogs are synonymous with summer, so are heirloom tomatoes, fist-sized and growing off the vine; golden waves of corn filling the fields; watermelon picked at their ripest, and the coolness of cucumber

The best meals are ones where each element of food sings with each other to the point where the entire experience is arranged in a deep, satisfying harmony. Salad is the treble that plays above the deep bass that is barbecue. Together, they make delicious music that we can enjoy all summer.  

Sweet Corn Salad

A play on esquites, a Mexican street corn salad, this quick salad is a textural delight. Kernels of raw corn, sweet and a bit earthy, pop in the mouth like firecrackers on the fourth of July.  

Active time 25 minutes

Total time 35 minutes

Yield 4-5 servings

Ingredients

2 jalapeños
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
4 cobs sweet corn, kernels removed 
1/2 cup cilantro, bottom stems removed
1/2 cup scallion greens, sliced at a bias
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp sugar
A pinch of maldon salt
1 lime, for serving

Instructions

Cut the jalapeńos in half length-wise and discard the seeds. Toss the peppers in ½ tablespoon of olive oil and lay them out, skin side up, on a quarter sheet tray. 

Place the peppers on the top rack of your oven and turn on the broiler. Allow the top of the peppers to blacken for approximately 5 minutes. Once the peppers are wrinkly and charred, turn off the broiler and move the peppers to a bowl. 

Cover the bowl with a lid and let the jalapeños cool. 

While you wait, grate the clove of garlic into a jar with the mayo, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Shake the jar to dissolve the sugar and emulsify the dressing. 

The jalapeños should be cool by now. Scrape the burnt skins off with a spoon and roughly mince the peppers. 

To assemble, toss together the vinaigrette with the jalapeños, corn, cilantro, and scallion greens in a large bowl. When ready to serve, garnish the salad with flaky, crunchy salt and freshly squeezed lime juice. 

Pajeori (Korean Green Onion Salad)

For meat dishes that straddle the line between sweet and savory, this salad is a perfect side dish. The bite of the green onions are tamed when soaked in water. At the same time, the onion-ness, which happens to be the deliciousness, is preserved. 

Active time 10 minutes

Total time 40 minutes

Yield 3 servings

Ingredients

3 cups of green onions (or Asian chives)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 ½  tablespoon gochugaru chile flakes
1 ½  tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 ¼  tablespoon sugar
½  teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic, grated
Roasted sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

Trim the root ends off the green onions, then cut the onions lengthwise into equal segments. Slice the vegetables into long, thin ribbons. 

Soak the green onions in ice water for 15-30 minutes until they start to curl.

As the onions soak, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, sesame oil and garlic in a medium bowl. 

Once the onions have lost their bite, dry them out on a paper towel for about 10 minutes. Blot out any of the excess moisture. 

When ready to serve, toss the alliums in the dressing. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds. 

Citrus and Pistachio Salad

This salad works with any in-season citrus that you may have. The juices of the various fruits fuse together. They then get supercharged by the bit of vinegar in the pickling liquid, becoming sweet, bitter, and a little funky. The pistachios at the end are necessary —the nuttiness keeps the dish more salad, less smoothie.

Active time 30 minutes
Total time 1 hour and 30 minutes
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Pickled Onions:
½ red onion
½ jalapeno
¼ cup champagne vinegar
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons sugar

For the Salad:

2 cups arugula 
¼ cup mint
Pickled onions
2 tablespoons pickling liquid
1 grapefruit
2 oranges or 4 tangerines
½ cup toasted pistachios
Ricotta, optional

Instructions

In a small saucepan, let the sherry vinegar, water, and sugar come to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and add the onion and jalapeño. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for about 30 minutes, allowing the onions to pickle.

While the onions are pickling, use a paring knife and try to remove as much of the skins of the citrus as possible. The goal here is to remove the bitter white pith while losing the least amount of fruit as possible. Don’t be precious, but go slowly 

Once the citrus is all peeled, slice horizontally or supreme into wedges. The fun here is mixing it up. 

Once you’re ready, build the salad from the bottom up. Toss the arugula and the mint with half the pickling liquid from the onions. Layer the citrus into the green leaves. Crumble the top with pistachios. Dot with extra arugula if you want to party. 

Potato Salad With Spicy Pickled Green Beans & Fresh Dill Recipe

Classic potato salad recipes are creamy and rich, but as for their flavor, they’re typically a bit tangy at most. 

This one, on the other hand, combines the fluffy texture of a tried-and-true potato salad with a few unexpected flavor elements: bright, fresh herbs, slightly sour Greek yogurt, and a jar of spicy, pickled green beans — juice included.

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold work best)
2 tablespoons Thrive Market Organic Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Greek yogurt, or plain thick yogurt alternative of choice
¼ cup Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo
1 tablespoon mustard of course (Options: Thrive Market Organic Stone Ground Mustard, Thrive Market Organic Dijon, Thrive Market Organic Spicy Brown Mustard, or a combination)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons Rick’s Picks Mean Beans Spicy Pickled Green Beans, jar liquid
¼ cup red onion, minced
¼ cup Rick’s Picks Mean Beans Spicy Pickled Green Beans, chopped
⅓ cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Thrive Market Organic Smoked Paprika, optional

Instructions

Scrub potatoes to remove dirt. Add to a medium pot, top with cold water, and place on the stove.

Bring water to a boil, then turn heat down. Simmer till tender, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on potato size.

While potatoes simmer, make the yogurt dressing. In a large bowl, add yogurt, mayo, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and green bean jar liquid. Mix well and place in the fridge to chill, slightly firm up, and for flavors to mingle.

Prepare the veggies. Mince red onion, slice celery, chop the pickled green beans and dill. Add all to a small bowl and set aside.

Once the potatoes are done cooking (you’ll be able to slide a knife through the center with no resistance), remove from the pot and place on a large plate or cutting board. Careful, because these will be hot! 

Immediately cut potatoes into about 1 1⁄2 to 2-inch pieces, spreading pieces into a single layer to release steam so salad isn’t soggy. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Let cool completely.

Once potatoes are fully cool, remove the large bowl of yogurt dressing from the fridge and add in the potatoes. Mix well, but gently. The more you mix, the more the potatoes will break down, so adjust depending on how creamy you like your potato salad.

Season with salt, pepper, and acid to taste. 

Add the veggies and give the potato salad another mix. Top with smoked paprika and a bit more chopped dill to finish.