We owe this sunflower salad recipe to some Ukrainian friends. It’s a simple recipe to make, although it takes some time. Despite that, you’ll see how delicious it is and how beautiful the final decoration looks. Also, if you have children, they’ll love helping you assemble it, and you’ll have a great time together.
That said, let’s begin with the ingredients.
Ingredients for making the sunflower salad
The amount of ingredients may vary depending on how many layers you make.
- 2 Skinless chicken breasts
- 4 Large carrots
- 1 Large onion
- 4 Large eggs
- Corn
- Salt to taste
- Oil, preferably Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- Chia seeds (Optional)
- Grated cheese — in our case, we chose a wedge of our 12-month aged Manchego cheese
- Potato chips — we opted for extra thick ones, but you can also fry your own at home
- Mayonnaise
Preparation of the sunflower salad
To begin preparing our sunflower salad, we’ll place the chicken in boiling water in a pot and add salt. I usually don’t add much, as the flavor of the other ingredients is enough. Once the chicken is cooked, we’ll shred it.
We peel and grate the raw carrot and onion, and add them to a frying pan with EVOO over medium-high heat.
We boil the eggs, making sure they’re not overcooked but also not underdone. Once they’re ready, we peel them and cut them into small cubes.
Once we have all this ready, we’ll move on to the assembly.
Preparation of the sunflower salad
On a large flat plate, we’ll spread a layer of mayonnaise. Then we’ll add the ingredients in the following order:
First, we add a layer of shredded cooked chicken.
Next, we’ll add a thin layer of carrot and onion.
Next, we’ll add another layer of boiled egg, and finally one of grated cheese.
On top of the cheese, we’ll add another thin layer of mayonnaise and repeat the layers as many times as we like.
Each layer will be made smaller than the previous one, as if we were building a pyramid.
To finish, we’ll cover the sides with a bit more mayonnaise. It doesn’t matter if the ingredients are visible, so don’t overdo it with the mayonnaise.
How to decorate the sunflower salad
Once we’ve finished preparing the salad, we’ll decorate it using the corn, potato chips, and chia seeds.
First, we’ll place the corn all around the salad. If we want to make it look more realistic, we can sprinkle a bit of chia on top of the corn. This way, we’ll simulate the sunflower seeds.
To finish, we’ll add the potato chips at the base of the salad. We’ll place them side by side until the entire circumference is complete.
How to pair this sunflower salad
Since it’s a dish made with mild white meat, we recommend pairing it with a white wine, such as a Chardonnay or an Airén.
And if I don’t drink alcohol?
For those who don’t drink alcohol, you can make a non-alcoholic “mojito.” All you need is sparkling water, ice, and a few mint leaves; you can add a few drops of lemon juice. If you prefer something with a stronger flavor, you can go for grape juice.
Our sunflower salad is now ready to be devoured by our forks.
