A hearty, flavour-packed salad that brings all the smoky warmth of a summer barbecue to the table, whatever the season. From Alexandra Stacey’s beautiful new cookbook, ‘Salads for All Seasons’
IMAGE: OLA SMIT
When I am asked to describe summers in France, I immediately picture long lazy barbecue lunches and children playing barefoot on sun-parched lawns, while swallows soar and dive stridently overhead. Naturally, there is a very chilled bottle of rosé on the table, tiny droplets of condensation pearling on the glass. I can also almost smell the enticing smoky whiff of grilled merguez sausages just carried on the breeze. I defy anyone not to feel their taste buds tingling gleefully upon encountering this evocative smell of North African spiced meat grilled over red-hot coals.
This salad will, I hope, transport you for a short interlude to hot still days in the French countryside. Eat it with lots of warm baguette, if you can, and perhaps a little bowl of fiery Dijon mustard for those who cannot resist adding a smidgen to their meatballs.
Moroccan Salad with Merguez Meatballs
Ingredients
- 300 g (10 1/2oz) merguez sausages
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1/2 red onion, very finely chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 4 large tomatoes, cored, deseeded, and cubed
- 1 green (bell) pepper, cored, deseeded, and finely chopped
- 20 g (1/3 cup) chopped coriander (cilantro)
- 20 g (1/3 cup) chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 16 pitted black olives
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp dried herbes de Provence
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6).
- Remove the skins from the merguez sausages. Divide the meat into meatballs, about 3cm (1 1⁄4in) in diameter, using the palm of your hand to roll them into balls. Place them in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with some of the olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes.
- While the meatballs are roasting, assemble the salad.
- Put the onion and cucumber in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Add the sherry vinegar and stir well. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and green pepper. Set aside some of the herbs for garnishing, then add the rest to the bowl along with the olives and cumin.
- Spoon over the remaining olive oil and add the herbes de Provence. Combine all the ingredients until fully mixed. Taste the salad and add more salt or a drizzle of olive oil if required.
- Top with the meatballs and the reserved herbs just before serving.
Extracted from Salads for all Seasons by Alexandra Stacey, published by DK, RRP £22, photography by Ola Smit
Know someone who would enjoy this recipe? You can share it using the buttons at the top of the page. Members of The Staying in Crowd have a chance to win a copy of Salads for all Seasons by Alexandra Stacey if they enter by 31st August 2026. Find out more about membership here.
