ELISHA EATS
pomegranate and coriander tabbouleh with baharat-roasted courgette and butternut squash, served with whipped feta, mixed leaves and mint oil. This was no vegetarian afterthought of a dish; instead it was fresh, vibrant and flavourful, with plenty of textural contrasts and interesting seasoning that made you want to go back for seconds. If you fancy something more upmarket, Vanderlyle is the final word in delicious vegetables. It’s a vegetarian fine-dining restaurant on Mill Road that serves up creative and unconventional dishes (think strawberry ragu in a Chinese-style bao), but always manages to be delicious. And if you visit in the summer, the seasonal tasting menu often includes a salad with ingredients sourced from farms very close to Cambridge. When I was there last September, I tried the salad of French beans, peach, badger flame beetroot and cashew parfait, and it was a fantastic way to showcase some of our local produce. Dare to be different Still not convinced on salads? You could go the unconventional route and try out a smashed cucumber or cold seaweed salad from 1+1 Rougamo on Regent Street. Or the marinated tofu salad from Zhonghua Traditional Snacks. There’s even the mixed kelp silk with Chinese leaf and spring onion from Cafe Oriental & Dumpling Bar on Burleigh Street. None of these dishes are what you might expect of a salad, but they’re all still worth trying if you want to expand your culinary horizons. So, what is a salad really? The definition doesn’t actually matter, as long as you manage to find something you enjoy – whether that’s with a side of croutons or an accompanying cashew parfait. The real question is: which one will you dare to try first? See Elisha’s Instagram @elisha.eats for up-to-date reviews of eats around Cambridge
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