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Grilled Lamb & Minted Tomato Salad
Recipe

Grilled Lamb & Minted Tomato Salad

Main • South Africa

Tender lamb steaks are quickly grilled and served over a juicy tomato, cucumber and red onion salad with mint, lemon and a touch of olive oil. Light enough for weeknights, satisfying enough for a proper main.

Why smarter

Uses lean lamb portions and a big, high-volume salad for fullness, with a simple dressing and no creamy sauces. Grilling keeps it flavourful without heavy added fat.

Chef tip

Salt the tomatoes lightly and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving—this draws out juices and makes a natural “sauce” for the lamb.

Soft line

Fresh, summery and braai-friendly—without feeling heavy.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Lamb leg steaks, trimmed of visible fat 600.000 g lamb leg steaks or lamb loin chops/steaks, trimmed
2 Canola oil 2.000 tsp canola oil for grilling
3 Garlic, finely grated or crushed 2.000 cloves garlic
4 Ground cumin 1.000 tsp ground cumin
5 Paprika 1.000 tsp paprika smoked or sweet
6 Lemon zest 1.000 tsp lemon zest
7 Lemon juice 3.000 tbsp lemon juice divided
8 Salt and black pepper salt and black pepper to taste
9 Ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges 600.000 g tomatoes mix of large tomatoes and/or cocktail tomatoes
10 Cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced 1.000 medium cucumber
11 Red onion, thinly sliced 0.500 medium red onion
12 Fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped 0.500 cup fresh mint
13 Fresh parsley, roughly chopped 0.250 cup fresh parsley optional but nice
14 Extra-virgin olive oil 1.000 tbsp olive oil for the salad dressing
15 Red wine vinegar 1.000 tbsp red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar

Method

  1. Pat the lamb dry and trim any thick external fat. Bring to room temperature while you prep the salad (about 10 minutes).
  2. In a bowl, rub the lamb with canola oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon zest, 1 tbsp of the lemon juice, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Combine tomatoes, cucumber and red onion in a large bowl. Add mint (and parsley, if using).
  4. Whisk olive oil, vinegar and remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss through the salad and let it stand 5 minutes to get juicy.
  5. Heat a grill pan or braai grid to medium-high. Grill the lamb 3–5 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until browned and cooked to your preference.
  6. Rest the lamb on a plate for 5 minutes, loosely covered, then slice against the grain.
  7. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning (extra lemon, pepper or a pinch more salt).
  8. Serve the lamb over the minted tomato salad, spooning over any salad juices. Optional: add a wedge of lemon on the side.