This Crispy Lamb Salad with Yogurt Dressing is perfect for a weeknight dinner or to impress a guest. Tender lamb shoulder is cooked, then crisped up and topped to this simple salad. Loaded with Mediterranean flavor and flair including olives, feta, sweet dates, juicy summer tomatoes and topped with a creamy and tangy yogurt dressing.

Lamb is such a crucial part of my heritage and Mediterranean cuisine. A protein that tends to get overlooked by many home cooks. American lamb is so delicious, approachable to cook and an easy way to shake up meals at our home.

Choosing American lamb helps supports our local ranchers, which they need more than ever right now. I can feel good about feeding my family while supporting a local business and ultimately get the freshest meat for my family.

Cuts of Lamb

Many people are intimidated by cooking lamb, but it's really no different than any other protein. Knowing your cuts and how to cook them are important to get the ultimately flavor and texture. Ground lamb is the easiest cut to work with, especially for someone who may be intimidated to try a new type of protein. Recipes like Lamb Kofta Burger, Mediterranean Lamb Bowl or Sfeeha all use ground lamb.

We're going to elevate this salad and instead of using ground lamb, we're taking it to the next level and cooking up some lamb shoulder chops.

The shoulder chops are a exactly as they sound - the shoulder of the lamb. This meat is absolutely succulent and tender when cooked for a longer period of time. I like to cook them similar to how I would cook shanks. For this salad we have 2 methods to choose from: an electric pressure cooker or boiling. Both yield the same results and virtually hands off cooking. You can find a guide to cook all cuts of lamb here on the American Lamb Board page.

Ingredients

Okay, onto the salad. Once you have your delicious, tender, succulent lamb - the rest is just assembly. I like to cook my lamb when I have them time, maybe over the weekend and then pop in the fridge so have all week to create this salad. Here are some of the items we're going to need.

• Lamb Shoulder - Just before assembling our salad we're going to give that tender cooked lamb a quick sear in the pan to get it a little crispy. It really takes it to another level!
• Lettuce - You can really use any type of lettuce you have on hand. I love romaine for its crunch but also enjoy a spring mix or a mix of red and green leaf lettuce.
• Feta - One of our absolute favorite cheeses and heavily used in Mediterranean dishes. Feta can stand up to the rich flavor of lamb and really give the dish a nice briny flavor. You can always sub goat cheese or even a sharp manchego if feta isn't your thing.
• Olives - When thinking about this salad, we're thinking a full meal - so adding components like olives gives the salad body and again that briny flavor can hold up to the lamb and really enhance its flavor.
• Tomatoes - We're in the peak of tomato season so I love to add them to any salad. In the winter months you can absolutely sub out some sun-dried tomatoes in their place - I prefer the ones in oil for a tender texture.
• Fresh Mint - Something about fresh mint mixed in a salad really takes it to another level. Those little bites are so refreshing. If you have some, definitely throw a few leaves in!
• Dates - I love having something sweet in my salads, it really helps balance the flavors. Throwing in some chopped dates to this one but you can absolutely sub for some dried apricots - I adore the deep, rich Turkish apricots.
• Yogurt Dressing - Lamb + mint and yogurt go hand in hand. This dressing combines tangy yogurt, dried mint and sumac - which has a lemony flavor and really brightens up the salad. One I'm sure you'll keep in the fridge on repeat for everything!

Method of Cooking Lamb

For lamb shoulder chops I like to slow cook them just like in the popular Lebanese dish Fasolia. If you've never had that tender, fall off the bone lamb - you are missing out and will be head over heels when you try it.

The most traditional way of getting that succulent, tender, melt in your mouth lamb is by boiling. Yes, I know - boiling meat seems a little bizarre but the should chops can handle it and will yield such an incredible texture. Taking time to sear the chops beforehand enhances their flavor and will ultimately become incredibly tasty.

Sometimes we don't have a few hours to be near our stovetop, thankfully modern technology has gifted us with the magic of electric pressure cookers. If you don't have one, an investment in one would be a great idea, especially if you love cooking with lamb as much as me! With the press of a button and about 45 minutes - you'll have the same tender, succulent lamb that you would achieve boiling with little to no effort.

If you make this Crispy Lamb Salad please let me know by leaving a rating and review below.

As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media #cosetteskitchen which lets me know what is working for you! You can find me on Facebook,  Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!

xoxo,
Cosette

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