If the morning after a braai looks anything like ours, a container of cold lamb chops, half a coil of boerewors, maybe a chicken leg or two are sitting in a tupperware in the fridge. Someone always says they’ll turn it into something tomorrow, and by the afternoon, tomorrow has usually arrived. Using up braai leftovers is as much a tradition as the fire itself, and most households already have their own quiet way of doing it before the week’s out.
This Braai Leftovers Salad is a faster way to get there. Whatever came off the fire yesterday goes back onto direct heat just long enough to warm through and pick up fresh char (A simple re-heat in the oven works just as well), then gets tossed with quick-charred spring vegetables and a lemon dressing made with Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
It’s ready in under half an hour, using nothing that wasn’t already in the fridge.
Braai Leftovers Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the asparagus, baby marrows and spring onions in half the Wilson's Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Get a griddle pan or braai grid properly hot, then char the vegetables directly, turning once, until they're marked and just tender, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- In the last few minutes, add the leftover braai meat to the heat alongside the vegetables, turning once, just until it's warmed through and picked up fresh char, about 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk the remaining Wilson's Extra Virgin Olive Oil with the lemon juice and mustard to make the dressing.
- Roughly chop the charred vegetables and meat, then toss everything with the rocket and dressing while still warm.
- Scatter over the feta, if using, and serve immediately.
Notes
We Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This salad leans on Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil twice. It goes over the meat and vegetables before they go back over the heat, so nothing dries out on a second pass over the fire, then it goes into the dressing itself, whisked with lemon and a little mustard.
The dressing is where the oil’s own character actually comes through. Heat mutes extra virgin olive oil’s peppery bite fast, so a raw drizzle after the fact is the only way to taste what makes it different from a refined oil in the first place.
Between the reheat and the dressing, the same bottle does the work of making meat that’s already been cooked once taste like it just came off the fire.
Our Tips
Don’t reheat the meat more than once. If it’s already been warmed up once since the braai, skip the fire this time and just toss it through cold rather than risking a second reheat.
Slice, don’t dice. Thin slices pick up more dressing and warm through faster than chunks.
Char the vegetables raw. No need to blanch first here; a hot griddle or grid chars quick-cooking spring vegetables through in a few minutes flat.
Dress everything while it’s still warm. Warm meat and vegetables take on the lemon dressing far better than cold ones do.
Add the feta last. Scatter it over right before serving so it doesn’t melt into the warm salad.
Use whatever’s actually left. Lamb chops, chicken or boerewors all work here, and there’s no reason not to mix them if that’s what’s in the fridge.
How to Serve Braai Leftovers Salad
This Braai Leftovers Salad works as a full lunch on its own, no side dishes required, since it’s already carrying protein, vegetables and a proper dressing in one bowl.
It travels well too, packed cold into a container for a desk lunch or taken along on a picnic, which makes it as useful for clearing out the fridge as it is for eating well the day after a braai.
A hunk of crusty bread alongside is the only real addition it needs.
More Ways to Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Once you’ve got a bottle of Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil open, it’s just as useful well beyond this salad.
For the vegetables when they’re actually fresh — it’s the same char-and-dress method in our Char-Grilled Spring Salad.
For a proper roast — it’s what gives the shattering crust in our Roast Potatoes.
For another hard-roasted vegetable — the same raw-drizzle finish works just as well in our Cabbage Steaks.
For the dough itself — a splash in the mix gives our Homemade Roosterkoek its soft crumb and golden crust.
The Good Stuff About Extra Virgin Olive Oil
“Extra virgin” is a grade rather than a marketing term. It means the oil was extracted mechanically, using pressure alone rather than heat or chemical solvents, and that it falls under a strict acidity threshold. That’s what gives it the peppery, grassy edge you can actually taste in a dressing, next to a refined oil that mostly just carries other flavours instead of adding its own.
250ml / 500ml / 750ml / 1L / 5L
Bottle Sizes
Salads, Reheated Meats, Grilled Vegetables
Pairs Well With
Everyday Through Spring
Kitchen Regular
Ways to Change It Up
Swap in peri-peri chicken leftovers. If that’s what’s in the fridge, it brings its own heat and barely needs the mustard in the dressing.
Add cooked grains. A cup of leftover pap, couscous or rice turns it into a heartier, one-bowl meal.
Leave out the meat entirely. The charred vegetables and dressing hold up fine as a vegetarian side on their own.
Add crumbled feta or a soft cheese. Scattered over just before serving, it adds a salty edge against the char.
Swap the lemon for lime. It works just as well in the dressing and suits a peri-peri version particularly well.
Questions You Might Have
Can I make Braai Leftovers Salad the morning after and eat it later that day?
Yes, it keeps well for a few hours once dressed, though it’s best eaten the same day since the vegetables soften as they sit.
How long can I keep leftover braai meat before using it in this?
Keep it refrigerated and use it within 2 days for the best flavour and to stay on the safe side; FoodFacts also recommends never reheating cooked meat more than once.
Do I need to blanch the vegetables first?
No, unlike a fresh version of this salad, these are quick-cooking enough to char straight from raw over high heat.
Can I use frozen leftover braai meat?
Yes, thaw it fully in the fridge first, then treat it exactly the same as fresh leftovers from there.
What if I don’t have spring vegetables on hand?
Baby marrow, asparagus and spring onion are the base here, but any quick-charring vegetable works the same way.
Where can I buy Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
It’s available to order directly from oliveoil.co.za and at leading retailers across South Africa.
Ready to Make This?
Get the oil that freshens up yesterday’s braai and makes today’s lunch better than a rerun.
More From Our Kitchen
Char-Grilled Spring Salad — Braai Lamb Chops — Peri-Peri Braai Chicken — All Recipes
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