- Prep10 min
- Cook20 min
Lamb, actually. Chicken has had a good run. This Mediterranean lamb salad is lamb chops on kale slaw, topped with softened carrot and onion and finished with a balsamic dressing you shake in a jar. Most of the effort is grating and slicing, and the lamb marinates for 30 minutes while you do something else.
Buy the carrot pre-grated and the garlic jarred and the fiddly bits are gone. That leaves a marinade, a jar and a hot pan or BBQ plate, and you end up with two serves.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄🥄 More Spoons
- Hands-on time: about 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating while you do something else
- Main effort: grating and slicing the carrot and onion, and cooking the lamb from raw
- Chopping: a little. Grate the carrot and half the onion, thinly slice the rest, crush the garlic and roughly chop the peanuts. Buying the carrot pre-grated, the garlic jarred and the peanuts chopped removes most of it
- Standing and attention: about 5 minutes stirring the carrot and onion at the stove, then the lamb on a hot plate or pan, cooked to your liking
- Washing up: a frying pan, a BBQ plate or second pan, a medium bowl, a jar or small bowl, a grater, a board and the marinating container
Quick spoon check
- Low-spoon version: pre-grated carrot, jarred garlic, chopped peanuts and a supermarket seasoning blend instead of the kofta blend. You still marinate and cook the lamb.
- As written: grate, slice and chop everything yourself, as in the recipe card.
There isn’t an assemble-only version of this one, because the lamb has to be cooked. Save it for a Low-Spoon or More-Spoons day.
Kerry’s notes
Right, what’s actually hard here? Grating the carrot and onion, and that’s about it. I’d buy the carrot pre-grated and not think twice. Same with the garlic. Jarred works fine.
The marinade is the clever bit. Rub the lamb with the kofta seasoning, pop it in a container in the fridge and walk away. Thirty minutes does it, or leave it overnight if you have the time. Future-you will be pleased.
The kofta blend keeps happily in an airtight jar, and this recipe only uses 2 teaspoons of it. Make a batch once and you’re set for next time.
The macros are on the recipe card. If you want to know what they mean, Leigh has plenty to say in her Ingredients & Nutrition guides. She’ll need more than a paragraph, so I’ll put the kettle on first.
Fancy lamb on a No Spoons Day instead? The Lamb Ragu with Low Carb Pasta is heat-and-eat.
What’s that ingredient?
Natures Hollow Keto Honey Substitute
A honey-style syrup made for low carb cooking. Here it’s 1 teaspoon in the dressing, to balance the balsamic. You can buy it from Low Carb Emporium (affiliate link). Keep it as the label says. Easiest swap: regular honey, if you don’t need it low carb.
Kofta Seasoning
Our own spice blend, and it’s what flavours the lamb. It’s coriander, cumin, black pepper, allspice, cardamom and turmeric, shaken together in a jar. Make it from the Middle Eastern Kofta Seasoning post, or use a supermarket spice blend if you’re short on time. Keep it in an airtight jar. Easiest swap: a supermarket Greek or BBQ seasoning blend.
Why this recipe works
- Softened carrot and onion on top give you something warm and soft against the cold, crunchy slaw.
- The dressing is one jar and a shake: grated onion, garlic, balsamic, olive oil and a little honey substitute.
- Bagged kale slaw replaces shredding your own cabbage and kale.
- Half the dressing goes through the slaw and half goes over the top, so every bite gets some.
Ingredients at a glance
- Lamb loin chops: the main event, seasoned with the kofta blend and cooked on a hot plate or pan.
- Kofta Seasoning: the flavour on the lamb and the carrot. Just 2 teaspoons.
- Kale slaw: the base of the salad, so there’s no shredding.
- Carrot and red onion: softened in the pan as the topping. Half the onion goes into the dressing.
- Balsamic vinegar: the tangy base of the dressing.
- Keto honey substitute: a little sweetness to balance the balsamic.
- Garlic: flavour in the dressing.
- Peanuts: crunch on top.
- Olive oil: goes in the dressing and the pan.
No Spoon Swaps
More shortcut ideas are in our Practical Food Guides.
- Pre-grated carrot: saves the grating. The shreds may be finer than your own, so they may soften a little sooner in the pan.
- Jarred garlic: saves the crushing. Fresh garlic gives a slightly stronger flavour, but jarred works fine here.
- Chopped peanuts from the packet: saves the chopping. Check the label if you care whether they’re roasted or salted.
- Supermarket spice blend: saves making the kofta blend. The flavour won’t be the same as the kofta blend.
- Marinate for 30 minutes, not overnight: overnight is optional, so don’t feel you have to plan ahead.
Substitutions and allergens
- Peanuts: leave them off, or swap in sunflower or pumpkin seeds. This changes the macros slightly.
- Honey substitute: regular honey works if you don’t need it low carb. The carbs will go up.
- Kale slaw: any bagged slaw or shredded cabbage will do. The flavour will change a little.
Allergen notes
- Peanuts: in the topping. Leave them off if you need to avoid them.
- Bagged kale slaw: some kits come with a dressing sachet or extras. Check the label for allergens.
- Spice blends and the honey substitute: check the labels for allergens, because brands vary.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- BBQ plate or very hot frying pan: either works for the lamb.
- Ziplock bag or container for marinating: a bag means one less container to wash.
- Standing at the stove: the carrot and onion need about 5 minutes of stirring. If standing is hard, pull a stool up to the stove for that bit.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: cool within 2 hours, then keep covered in the fridge at 5°C or below and eat within 3 days.
- Freezer: don’t freeze.
- Reheating: heat leftover lamb and carrot until steaming hot all the way through, and only once.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this Mediterranean lamb salad ahead?
You can marinate the lamb ahead, up to overnight. Cook the lamb and the carrot and onion when you’re ready to eat, then put it all together.
Do I have to marinate the lamb?
The recipe is written with 30 minutes in the seasoning. Grate the carrot and onion while it sits. We haven’t tested it without.
Can I use a supermarket spice blend instead of the kofta seasoning?
Yes. It will taste different from the kofta blend, but it saves you making it.
BBQ plate or frying pan for the lamb?
Either, as long as it’s very hot. Cook the lamb to your liking.
What if I can’t manage the grating?
Buy the carrot pre-grated. The No Spoon Swaps above list the other shortcuts.
Lamb, Actually – Mediterranean Lamb Salad with Smoky Carrot Dressing
Equipment
- Medium frying pan
- BBQ plate (optional)
- Box grater
- Chopping board and knife
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl or jar
- Ziplock bag or container
Ingredients
Lamb
- 300 g lamb loin chops
- 1 tsp Kofta Seasoning
Dressing
- ½ of the red onion, coarsely grated (about 25 g)
- 1 tsp garlic, crushed (fresh clove, or jarred)
- 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Natures Hollow Keto Honey Substitute
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Salad
- ½ packet kale slaw (350 g packet, so about 175 g)
- 100 g carrot, coarsely grated
- ½ of the red onion, thinly sliced (about 25 g)
- 1 tbsp peanuts, roughly chopped
Carrot and onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Kofta Seasoning
Instructions
Marinate the lamb
- Sprinkle 1 tsp Kofta Seasoning over the lamb chops and rub it in.
- Put the lamb in a ziplock bag or container and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes (overnight if you have the time).
Prepare the salad
- Coarsely grate the carrot.
- Coarsely grate half the red onion.
- Thinly slice the remaining onion.
- Put the kale slaw in a medium bowl.
- Crush the garlic.
- Roughly chop the peanuts.
Make the dressing
- Put the grated onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, honey substitute, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar.
- Whisk or shake until combined.
Cook the carrot and onion
- Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, grated carrot, sliced onion and Kofta Seasoning.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
- Take the pan off the heat.
Cook the lamb
- Cook the lamb chops on a hot BBQ plate or in a very hot frying pan, to your liking.
Put it together
- Pour half the dressing over the kale slaw and toss to coat.
- Divide the slaw between two bowls.
- Put the lamb chops on top of the slaw.
- Spoon the carrot and onion over the lamb.
- Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.
- Drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Get the lamb into its seasoning first, then do the grating while it sits. Shortcuts are allowed. Dinner doesn’t check who grated the carrot. Give it a go on a night you’ve got a few spoons to spare.
