We know it’s the holidays, so we’ve been writing a lot about food that’s Christmas themed and flavoured, but not every dish you make around this time of year has to actually incorporate Christmas specifically in order to taste seasonal! We find that even the simple addition of some mint to most recipes gets us in the spirit, since it’s a fresh flavour that’s included in so many classically holiday recipes.
Just in case mint makes you feel festive too, here’s a list of 15 of our favorite mint foods of all time (and we’ve actually tried these before)!
1. Spicy chicken legs and cauliflower couscous with cherries, pistachios, and mint
Delish guides you through the process of making yourself a dinner that can only be described as a flavour experience. The fresh taste of mint in the couscous side is perfectly blended with tangy cranberries, while the chicken adds a kick to your plate by packing some spice. Besides the mint itself, the best part is that this couscous is actually made of cauliflower, making it friendly to pretty much anyone’s dietary restrictions.
2. Mojito fruit salad
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Do you love drinks that taste like your favourite foods? Then it’s time to put a twist on things and try a food that tastes like your favourite drink! Iowa Girl Eats shows you how to make a deliciously fresh fruit salad that will make you feel almost like you’re drinking a fresh mojito with friends, and the key ingredient for that magic is all in the mint!
3. Noodles with carrots, spinach, and cabbage mint
Noodle dishes are some of our very favourite meals. Whether it’s classic pasta, rice noodles, or udon in pho broth, we just love noodles. Lucky for us, Delish found a way to blend our love for noodle dishes with our love for mint! Carrots, spinach, and cabbage make the dish hearty and healthy, as well as tasty.
4. Fresh mint gelato
What could possibly be a better treat for your kids than telling them you’ve learned how to make your own gelato at home? We know ours sure got excited over this recipe! Besides being creamy and delicious, Your Homebased Mom shows you how to give your gelato a mint flavour that’s pretty much the definition of “fresh”.
5. Blackberry mint julep
There are all kinds of julep type recipes out there and, if we’re being honest, we’ve probably worked our way through more than half of them because we’re such big fans of the drink in all its iterations. Even when you’re adding another flavour, however, there’s just something about a mint julep that’s particularly satisfying. We adore this mint and blackberry julep combination from Delish and we’re pretty sure you will too!
6. Mint chimichurri
Are you the kind of food enthusiast who loves the meal or snack itself, but occasionally really just uses the food as a vehicle for the delicious sauce in the little dish on the side? Don’t worry, we’ve been known to do this too! That’s why we were so pleased when we stumbled across this mint chimichurri recipe from Simply Recipes!
7. Sweet pea mint ricotta spread
When it comes to side dishes, appetizers, and party hosting snacks, few things beat cheese dips and spreads! As long as you don’t have a dairy intolerance, they’re pretty much the most popular thing on the table at every buffet or holiday party. Work your love for mint into the mix this holiday season by making this mint ricotta spread by Delish that also has sweet peas for a little bit of extra texture and flavour!
8. Tabbouleh salad
If you’ve ever had authentic Lebanese food or eaten in a good little Middle Eastern restaurant, then you probably already know the wonders of tabbouleh salad. In case you’ve never had the pleasure, however, here’s a spot on recipe from The Mediterranean Dish! This salad blends mint with tomatoes, green onions, parsley, and cucumber for one of the freshest tasting salads we’ve ever had.
9. Cool salmon couscous salad with snap peas, orange, and mint
Seafood might literally be our favourite thing. We will eat just about anything involving seafood, but we’re especially enthusiastic about dinner when there’s salmon involved. That’s why we’ve made this salmon salad recipe from Delish so many times! It’s the perfect way to let our love for mint complement a good piece of fish.
10. Heavenly fresh mint ice cream
Perhaps you’re a huge fan of the idea of making your own mint ice cream, but you’d rather skip the chocolate chunks that you saw in the gelato recipe above? You could just leave them out… or you could try this heavenly mint ice cream recipe from Delish that’s actually design to be solely a smooth, creamy mint experience.
11. Pearl couscous salad with mint and pecans
We love couscous and pearl couscous because you can jazz them up in so many different ways and eat them either hot or cold. One of our favourite ways to enjoy a cold couscous salad is, of course, to add mint to it. We’ve tried all different recipes that blend the two, but our favourite was undoubtedly this one from The Ktchn that adds pecans to the mix.
12. Lacinato kale and mint salad with spicy peanut dressing
Are you trying to keep things extra healthy or diet friendly? Well, no matter your motivations or restrictions, we might have found the perfect way for mint lovers to do just that. Food 52 shows you how to make a flavourful salad that combines kale and mint and tops the whole taste experience off with a delicious peanut dressing that’s ever so spicy.
13. Zucchini, mint, and yogurt spread
If you’ve ever eaten at a scrumptious Indian buffet then you already know the wonder of yogurt spread! Now all you need is a recipe and some ingredients. We highly recommend this mint and zucchini version from The Ktchn, which adds a very fresh and extremely unique to anything you decide to put it on.
14. Spicy brussel sprouts with mint
Brussel sprouts got a bad rep when we were kids but since then we’ve discovered their versatility and enjoyed them in all their glory! If you feel the same way about sprouts as us and you’re looking for a recipe with maximum flavour, then you simply must check out this one from Huffington Post. It blends fresh mint with spices to build a unique taste that can hardly be described without making our mouths water.
15. Warm rice salad with peas and mint
Maybe you’re looking for something that’s easy to prepare and subtle in taste so you can make it as a side dish to other complicated or very flavourful things? Then The Huffington Post has you covered once more! This simple side dish adds fresh mint and green peas to warm jasmine rice for a gentle, fragrant taste.
