There are normal salads and then there are Farmer J salads. There are certainly no boring old lettuce, tomato and cucumber combos to be found at the London healthy eating chain (there are 15 branches across the city). Instead, they major in bold flavours and nutritious, super-fresh ingredients, many of which sourced from high-welfare UK farms.

Fortuitously for us, there is a Farmer J next door to the Get The Gloss office and it is hands-down our favourite breakfast, lunch, coffee and meeting spot. We’ve spent many a team lunchbreak pondering exactly how they make their salads so tasty – is it the dressings? The imaginative use of pickles? The creative mix of ingredients? Some kind of vegetable voodoo?

But we are very much aware that not everyone lives in London and many of you will not yet have enjoyed the Farmer J salad experience (although with a UK expansion apparently in the works, it could be coming to a city near you soon). So we persuaded them to spill the (borlotti) beans on their secret recipes so we can all recreate the dishes at home.

Here are three healthy, hearty summer salads – Feta Caesar, Chickpea & Pickles and Panzanella –  to make your weekday lunchtimes far more exciting. Admittedly they do take a bit more prep than your average salad (we advise you pickle a batch of red onions on a Sunday for the week ahead) but it is worth it, we promise.

Feta Caesar Salad

Serves 4

Salad ingredients:

• 75g chopped kale
• 75g chopped cavolo nero
• 75g chopped romaine lettuce
• 100g chopped raw broccoli
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced and pickled (see Chickpeas & Pickles salad recipe below for method – you need to make this the day before)
• 75g crumbled pitta chips (try Soffle’s – you can get them in Waitrose)
• Feta to garnish

Caesar dressing:

• 200g olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 30g grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, mayonnaise, mustard, crushed garlic, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. For a creamier consistency, blend the dressing in a food processor or with a hand-held blender. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.

Rinse and thoroughly dry the kale, cavolo nero, and romaine lettuce. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large salad bowl. Chop the broccoli into small florets and add them to the bowl. Crumble the pitta chips and set them aside for a crunchy topping.

Add the pickled onion and crumbled pitta chips to the bowl with the greens. Drizzle the chilled Caesar dressing evenly over the salad. Toss gently to ensure all the ingredients are well coated. Sprinkle as much crumbled feta as desired over the top for extra creaminess and flavour.

Chickpea & Pickles Salad

Serves 4

Salad ingredients:

Lemon tahini dressing:

• 80g tahini
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cumin

Preheat oven to 270°C and toss chickpeas with olive oil, za’atar, and salt. Bake for 7 minutes until crispy. Set aside.

Thinly slice 1/2 small red onion and in a small jar, mix: 80g red wine vinegar, 80g water and 65g sugar. Add onions and let sit for at least 24 hours in the fridge.

In a small bowl, whisk together: tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and cumin. Add a splash of water to thin, if needed. In a large serving bowl, combine: shredded cabbage, cucumbers, green pepper, pickled onion, pickled cucumber, shifka peppers, and chopped parsley. Add the crispy za’atar chickpeas.

Drizzle the lemon tahini dressing over the salad and toss well. Garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of sumac.

Panzanella Salad

Serves 2

• 1/4 medium pepper, roasted and chopped
• 5-6 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1/2 small spring onion, sliced
• 1 small cavolo nero leaf, chopped
• 1/4 small cucumber, sliced
• 3-4 small heritage tomatoes, chopped
• Sourdough croutons (2 slices of sourdough bread, cut into cubes, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste)
• A small pinch of parsley, chopped
• 2 leaves basil, torn
• Salt, to taste

Panzanella dressing:

• 2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 5-7 cherry or baby plum tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 clove of minced garlic

Preheat your oven to 190°c. Cut the sourdough bread into cubes. In a mixing bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until golden and crispy, turning once halfway through. Let cool.

Cut the cherry tomatoes or baby plum tomatoes in half. Mince the garlic finely. Combine the sherry wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Add the halved tomatoes and minced garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then blend.

Pit and halve the Kalamata olives, slice spring onion, chop cavolo nero, slice cucumber, chop tomatoes, tear the basil leaves and chop the parsley.

In a large salad bowl, combine the roasted pepper, kalamata olives, spring onion, cavolo nero, cucumber, and heritage tomatoes. Add the sourdough croutons and gently mix to combine. Drizzle the Panzanella dressing over the mixed ingredients. Add the parsley, basil and season with salt to taste.

Recipes courtesy of Farmer J