Today’s recipe for Yorkshire Salad aka Durham Salad or Mint Salad, is a traditional recipe from Yorkshire and the North East of England.
A Traditional Salad for Roast Dinners and Yorkshire Puddings
Today’s recipe for Yorkshire Salad aka Durham Salad or Mint Salad, is a traditional recipe from Yorkshire and the North East of England.
This traditional heirloom recipe is served with roast dinners, usually roast lamb or roast beef, or with Yorkshire puddings before a roast dinner.
It’s not that well known south of Yorkshire, but as with all regional recipes, it travels well, so why not make it next Sunday, if you’re south of Watford Gap!
It’s basically a mixture of chopped lettuce, spring onions (scallions) and fresh mint in sweetened malt vinegar.
Sounds odd? Maybe, but I can assure you that it is absolutely divine with a Sunday roast, adding a fabulous minty zinginess and freshness to all roast dinners.
It seems that this “salad” comes under many names, as well as Yorkshire Salad, it’s also called Durham Salad and Mint Salad.
There’s also another name for a similar salad, which has treacle added to it, but no mint, called Ploughman’s Salad, or Yorkshire Ploughman’s Salad Sauce.
In ‘Food in England’ by Dorothy Hartley, there is also another variation made with shredded onion and cabbage with treacle, vinegar and pepper, called Ploughboys.
Whatever the name, it is a wonderfully refreshing salad and we love it when served with Yorkshire puddings, as well as with roast lamb.
I’ve shared the recipe at the end of this post, along with some more Yorkshire and North East traditonal specialities.
Do let me know if you make this and if you enjoyed it, Karen
Culinary Notes
- Another version of a Yorkshire Salad, adds sliced cucumbers to the mint sauce, along with onions, but with NO lettuce.
- Use a finely diced white or red onion if no spring onions are available.
- When fresh mint is not available during the winter months, use ready made mint sauce.
Shopping List
- 1 medium lettuce, such as Romaine, Cos or another robust lettuce
- 3 to 4 spring onions, trimmed and diced
- Bunch of fresh mint, about 12 stems, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons white caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons malt vinegar
Yorkshire and North East Recipes
- A Northumberland Cottage Kitchen Recipe: Stotty Cake (Stottie Cake)
- Mum’s Pease Pudding Recipe
- Panackelty – Store Cupboard Hot-Pot
- A Country Recipe: Winter Salad (Pickle)
- Carlins, Black Badgers and Parched Peas
- Country Cottage Comfort Food: Nanny’s Pan Haggerty
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Recipe for Yorkshire Salad aka Durham Salad or Mint Salad
Yorkshire Salad aka Durham Salad or Mint Salad
Today's recipe for Yorkshire Salad aka Durham Salad or Mint Salad, is a traditional recipe from Yorkshire and the North East of England.
This traditional heirloom recipe is served with roast dinners, usually roast lamb or roast beef, or with Yorkshire puddings before a roast dinner.
It's not that well known south of Yorkshire, but as with all regional recipes, it travels well, so why not make it next Sunday, if you're south of Watford Gap!
It's basically a mixture of chopped lettuce, spring onions (scallions) and fresh mint in sweetened malt vinegar.
Sounds odd? Maybe, but I can assure you that it is absolutely divine with a Sunday roast, adding a fabulous minty zinginess and freshness to all roast dinners.
It seems that this "salad" comes under many names, as well as Yorkshire Salad, it's also called Durham Salad and Mint Salad.
Ingredients
- 1 medium lettuce, such as Romaine, Cos or another robust lettuce
- 3 to 4 spring onions, trimmed and diced
- Bunch of fresh mint, about 12 stems, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons white caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons malt vinegar
Instructions
- Dissolve the sugar with the vinegar.
- Add the chopped mint to the vinegar and allow to marinate for 15 minutes or so.
- Finely shred the lettuce and set aside in a salad bowl.
- Scatter the diced spring onions over the lettuce, and mix well.
- Pour the mint sauce over the shredded lettuce and spring onions. Mix well.
- Serve with Yorkshire puddings, or with a roast dinner.
Notes
Another version of a Yorkshire Salad, adds sliced cucumbers to the mint sauce, along with onions, but with NO lettuce.
Use a finely diced white or red onion if no spring onions are available.
When fresh mint is not available during the winter months, use ready made mint sauce.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 105Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 23mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 4gSugar 18gProtein 3g
I’m afraid mint brings back some awful childhood memories of mint growing insanely around our outside toilet (with mad chickens attacking us) and a mad goat in the yard who ate mum’s laundry on the pole line. Eek. I find it hard to eat mint :=)