How To Prepare Nigerian Vegetable Salad

The Nigerian vegetable salad is number one on the list of Nigerian healthy foods. I realized that most Nigerians shy away from these natural foods and chose to spend more money on processed foods
probably because they are often wrangled in extra sweetener and ready to be taken.

I made a decision at some point to have at least a plate of vegetable salad in place of one meal weekly. Vegetable salads will detoxify your body, improve your digestive capability, make you feel lighter and even make you think smarter.

I have noticed that vegetables, when eaten in large quantity sought of awaken my neural pathway.
I am talking about raw vegetables and also some less sugary fruits, like cucumbers and water melon.

There are basically two types of salads that are popularly eaten in Nigeria, Salads happens to be one of the healthiest sets of foods that I know, especially the vegetable salad, I also like the fruit salad but this is by no means in comparison with the former.

What you find below is a plate of vegie salad, it looks delicious right? You can serve it this way or serve with any one of the rice meals.

Below are the ingredients used in making Nigerian Vegetable salads, you can double or reduce it, depending on the number of people you are looking to serve.

Ingredients For Nigerian Salads
Medium size cabbage
4 medium size carrot
lettuce leaves
2 cups of chopped green beans
half cup peas (optional)
3 cooked eggs
one can of baked beans
2 big size of cucumber
salad cream (heinz, BAMA mayonnaise)

Just know that most vegetable salads are usually 50% cabbage, 30% carrot/green beans, 5-10% cucumber while the lettuce leaves, peas, eggs and cream make up the other 10%

Preparation: chop the carrot /green beans/cucumber and set aside in different bowls, I like to peel off the green back of cucumbers and also remove the center seeds, you will learn how this is done by watching how I made salad via the video below.

Slice the cabbage too in a different tray (we use tray often in our home), slice the lettuce leaves, boil the eggs and remove the shell (2-3 eggs).

You then need to soften the cabbage, green beans, carrot and peas, most of the times we boil carrot, green beans and peas together and soak the cabbage in hot water for a minute.

Here is how it is done, add the carrot, green beans and peas to boiling (small) water, and allow to simmer on low heat for 3-4 minutes (this is to soften them a little, this practice is elaborated in the video below) heat water to 100 degree celcious (boiling point) and pour into the sliced cabbage in a bowl, allow for a minute then drain.

Also drain the carrot/green beans, peas and set aside in a bowl, now you are ready for the mixing part.
Most people choose to mix salad in a large plate/bowl or a tray.

The mixing is simple: sprinkle a handful of cabbage on the tray, and then sprinkle the carrot/green beans/peas, also the lettuce leaves and keep repeating the process until they are all in one place.

Then slice the egg and drop on the top of the salad. (the egg is mostly for decoration) The final mixing is done as people dish out the salad; you add the salad cream and baked beans. It is good for these two to be separate to avoid getting soured over a long period of time.

Nigerian vegetable salad is served best with either fried rice or jollof rice; it is also very delicious when served alone.