Irish Pub Salad

For St. Patrick’s Day, enjoy this BEST Irish Pub salad recipe is a crunchy salad with hard cooked eggs and cheese, with tarragon dressing. This salad pairs well with Guinness stew and soda bread for the ultimate Irish dinner!

Enjoy this Irish Pub Salad, a delicious salad if you’re hosting a St. Patrick’s Day bash! Irish food is not all about Irish potatoes, which so many people think, although you may want to try this Irish Potato Pie recipe! Or, grab the recipes to this St. Patrick’s Day MENU!

What is the difference between an Irish Pub Salad and English Pub Salad?

The few days we enjoyed Dublin, it seemed salads were included with every meal, usually with some kind of pickled vegetable, tomatoes, eggs, and cheese.

An Irish salad typically includes the lettuce, boiled eggs, and deli meats, while an English Pub Salad often includes a potato salad (red potatos, bacon, eggs).

Of course you can substitue the cheese, but I used an English cheddar in my recipe. Also, the main ingredient in this recipe is to add some pickled vegetables.  You can find these at the grocery store (pickled green beans, carrots, beets, etc).

What is traditional pub food?

Irish stew is found on pub menus all over Ireland, which is probably the most traditional Irish food you could try. A classic Irish stew is made with onions, potatoes and lamb, but you’ll find beef stews are popular as well. We also love this salad served with Guinness Shepherd’s Pie with a slice of Irish Barmbrack Bread–yes, please!

In the spirit of spring and St. Patrick’s Day coming up–true confessions here, being married to an Irish man–I’ve never really made a “true” Irish green salad before! So, after 34 years of marriage, I finally broke down and made one this past week. Everyone always asks about Irish potatoes, but for me, it’s all about the salad. But if you’re looking for Irish potatoes, try my Colcannon Irish Potatoes or Crispy Smashed Potatoes!

Ingredients for a traditional Irish Pub Salad

• Boston or Bibb lettuce: The lettuce used in Ireland for this salad is a soft leaf butter lettuce also known as Bibb or Boston lettuce. Here in the United States it is often sold under the label live lettuce and it comes with its root intact for longer lasting lettuce.
• Pickled veggies: pickled beets, pickled green beans.
• Fresh Veggies: sliced cucumber, diced tomatoes, chopped celery, shredded cabbage and sliced onions–your choice!
• Soft-boiled eggs
• Irish Cheddar cheese: we used an English Cheddar cheese but we also love Dubliner (buy at Costco)

Tarragon dressing:

• Mayonnaise
• Rice vinegar
• Dried terragon
• Dijon mustard
• Water

My husband and I visited Ireland years ago, and the first pub we visited in Dublin was the Davey Byrnes Pub, where we drank a very large Guinness upon arrival–fresh off the tap, met Paul’s cousin for the very first time (so exciting), and devoured an “Irish Pub Salad.” So this salad is inspired by the one we enjoyed!

What dressing do you add to an Irish Pub Salad?

I love to make a Tarragon Dressing. Tarragon is an herb that is mildly savory, and very delicious in a salad dressing. This homemade dressing is delightful, and makes me think of Spring! It’s perfect paired with cheese and the pickled veggies.

Serving

So now I’m dreaming of a St. Patrick’s Day get-together, with a big pot of Guinness Stew  in the center of the table, with hot buttery pieces of soda bread on the side, this green, salad, and maybe a bread pudding for dessert?

Tips and substitutions:

• Hard cooked eggs: To hard-boil eggs, with a spoon, gently place each egg in a medium pot of boiling water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and fill the pan with a mixture of cold water, and ice cubes; let stand until the eggs are completely cooled. Always peel under cold running water!
• Optional to use your favorite lettuce, but we think butter leaf is the best.
• Don’t like tarragon for the dressing? Use chives and parsley!
• Additions: You can add potato salad, meats, pickled onions, or pickled asparagus.
• Irish flag colors: Think patriotic, and create a salad with greens, orange (cheese or orange slices) and white cheese–the colors of Ireland’s national flag. Or, try my Irish Salad!

More Irish recipes:

• Irish Slaw Dip (or Salad)
• FRESH Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Apple Crisp [RecipeGirl]

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Get the Recipe:

Irish Pub Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Yield: 6

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Ingredients

 

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Dressing:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp dried terragon
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 to 3 tsp water

Salad:

• 8 cups Boston or Bibb lettuce, torn
• 1 cup pickled beets, pickled green beans, sliced cucumber, diced tomatoes, chopped celery, shredded cabbage and sliced onions–your choice!
• 1 cup pickled green beans, leave whole
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, cut into quarters
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into small squares
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cabbage, optional
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced, use either red or white

Instructions

 

Make the dressing:

• To a small bowl, add the mayo, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and tarragon. Whisk together, adding the water if needed. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Make the salad:

• To a large bowl, tear the butter leaf lettuce (or Boston lettuce) into small pieces. Drain the pickled veggies; add them to the bowl with the lettuce. Top with the cherry tomatoes, Cheddar, celery, cucumbers, eggs, and onions.
• Serve the dressing on the side or add it directly to the salad before serving.

How to make hard-cooked eggs:

• With a spoon, gently place each egg in a medium pot of boiling water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and fill the pan with a mixture of cold water, and ice cubes; let stand until the eggs are completely cooled. Always peel under cold running water!

Notes

Originally posted FEB 2018

Cuisine: Irish

Course: Salad

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

Calories: 303kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 151mg, Sodium: 482mg, Potassium: 495mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2734IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 205mg, Iron: 4mg

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