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    14 Spicy Salads to Make You Hotter

    Published: Apr 10, 2021 · Modified: Dec 22, 2021 by The Devil Wears Salad

    Do you love a little heat in your food, or perhaps you’re a proud pepper consumer and love to just pile it on? Either way, this collection of spicy salads showcases the different types of spicy ingredients that enhance the inherent flavours of the recipe. Enjoy!

    Spicy Salads to Make You Hotter

    What Makes Food Spicy?

    A nasty compound called Capsaicin!

    Capsaicin is an organic compound that is produced by the seeds in the plants of the Capsicum genus. This active ingredient is what gives food that heat. Capsaicin is essentially a natural defence mechanism against being under attack, such as from us humans who wish to eat them!

    Our tongue contains thousands of pain receptors called VR1 receptors. They can be found on our taste buds’ surface and actually on many other body parts too. When it comes into contact with Capsaicin, it causes a burning sensation, signalled by the brain through the trigeminal nerve.

    The different levels of tolerance are due to desensitised receptors that can occur if you eat a lot of spicy food and become less affected.

    How to Measure The Spiciness of Foods?

    The Scoville unit scale is the measurement by which one determines the heat level of chillies. This is done by getting human testers that get a series of dilutions of a specific pepper.

    They continue to dilute it until it is no longer spicy. The number of times it is diluted is the unit by which the levels of spiciness is measured.

    This test is, of course, subjective as we all have different levels of tolerance. Still, it has been refined over the years to give a relatively good understanding.

    Chillies or peppers that have a score of 0 indicates it is not spicy at all. The hottest pepper of all is the Carolina Reaper which comes in at a whopping 2,200,000 Scoville units!

    That is massively high when a regular jalapeno only comes in at 2,500 to 2,800 Scoville units.

    Anyone here tried the Carolina Reaper?

    How to Cool Down Your Mouth After Eating Spicy Food?

    The first remedy that everyone instinctively does is to grab a glass of water. When in fact, that is the worst thing you can do. Capsaicin is an oil, which, as we all know, does not mix with water. Drinking water will only spread the burn across the receptors on your tongue.

    If you thought that drinking a glass of milk would help alleviate spiciness was just an old wife’s tale, you would be wrong. It does actually work.

    It works because milk contains a protein called casein which helps to break the bonds of the Capsaicin from the receptors that have been too receptive!

    This would explain why a lot of Mexican and Indian food are often accompanied by some form of sour cream or yoghurt. In fact, a good mango lassi is the perfect way to get rid of the heat.

    Growing up, my mother used to always tell me to drink hot water. This was a completely counterintuitive move. My tongue is already on fire, and you want me to make it worse?

    However, it is sometimes so bad that I’d do anything to get rid of it, so I’d bite the bullet and drink hot water. The initial pain is awful, but the relief is almost instant!

    Oh, and cucumber. Cucumber is the best thing to have to relieve your throbbing mouth!

    Growing up in southeast Asia, eating chilli is an everyday occurrence. So much so that there are many people out there who believe that food is completely tasteless if there was any fresh chilli around.

    We love a kick of heat in our salad. Not enough to blow your socks off but certainly enough to enhance the flavours of a recipe. Of course, the beauty of spicy foods is that you can adjust them to your liking. Feel free to pile it on if you’re after something that will produce beads of sweat!

    Enjoy our collection of spicy salads!


    Spicy Chinese Tofu Skin Salad in a speckled light brown bowl

    Spicy Chinese Tofu Skin Salad

    1/14

    Bold spicy Asian flavours that will definitely get your taste buds moving.

    Delicious texture with tofu skin, cucumber and cauliflower mixed with a chilli black vinegar dressing that is spicy, sweet and sharp all at the same time.

    Parmesan Chipotle Corn Salad with Black Beans on a white plate with gold cutlery and 2 corn on the cobs

    Parmesan Chipotle Corn Salad with Black Beans

    2/14

    Smoky, earthy and salty, this Chipotle Corn Salad is accompanied by simple, fresh ingredients.

    This budget friendly salad is easy to make and fantastic for those warmer months as you host a casual alfresco lunch with family and friends.

    Gochujang Chicken Salad with Noodles and Tofu

    Gochujang Chicken Salad with Noodles and Tofu

    3/14

    This Korean inspired Gochujang Chicken Salad is an explosion of mouth-watering flavours and prickly heat. It’s almost too good to share!

    Cilantro Chimichurri Prawn Salad on a round black plate

    Cilantro Chimichurri Prawn Salad

    4/14

    Elevate this summer prawn salad with an aromatic cilantro chimichurri sauce. Perfect for those balmy alfresco dining afternoons when your family and friends are over for a BBQ!

    Zucchini and Cucumber Salad with Dried Shrimp on a white plate with chopsticks resting on chopstick holders

    Zucchini and Cucumber Salad with Dried Shrimp

    5/14

    Dive into a traditional style salad that heralds from the intertwining of Chinese and British Malay cultures of centuries past.

    This Zucchini and Cucumber Salad celebrates the fusion between the 2 cuisines, replicated nowhere else in the world.

    Gem Lettuce and Chicken Salad with Sriracha Aioli in a bowl with dressing and pepitas on the side

    Chicken and Gem Lettuce Salad with Sriracha Aioli

    6/14

    No boring Chicken and Gem Lettuce Salad with spicy, tangy sriracha aioli all balanced with sweet, crunchy and wholesome vegetables. This is a healthy and delicious meal in one.

    Curried Vegan Cauliflower Steak Salad with gold serving cutlery and a blue napkin on the side

    Curried Vegan Cauliflower Steak Salad

    7/14

    Imagine infusing a Vegan Cauliflower Steak with some of the most aromatic spices found in curry powder.

    Then imagine the smells in the kitchen as they roast themselves into delectable pieces of joy. What a salad!

    Thai Prawn Salad with Chilli Tamarind Dressing on a blue plate with a fork resting on the plate

    Thai Prawn Salad with Chilli Tamarind Dressing

    8/14

    Freshly grilled prawns, aromatic Thai herbs and a zesty Chilli Tamarind salad dressing with a good kick of chilli, this Asian-inspired salad is mouth-watering goodness.

    Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad on a grey plate with black cutlery and grey napkin

    Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad [Video Tutorial]

    9/14

    Beautifully presented, this cucumber avocado salad is tasty, creamy and ever so moreish!

    The creamy garlic salad dressing is silky, strong in flavour and ever so delicious. You’ll be coming back for more of this spicy green salad!

    A close up of mint green bowl of mango salad with chunks of mango, tomatoes, mint, red cabbage, coconut and peanuts.

    Tropical Mango Salad Recipe with Coconut

    10/14

    Colourful summer mango salad recipe that is bursting with fresh, vibrant tropical flavours.

    Effortless to put together, the combination of sweet mangoes and toasted coconut flakes with a tangy lime dressing is utterly delicious.

    Baby Cauliflower and Spiced Chickpeas with Beetroot Tahini on a white marble plate

    Baby Cauliflower and Spiced Chickpeas with Beetroot Tahini

    11/14

    What could be more scrumptious than whole roasted baby cauliflower? Combine them with spiced chickpeas and beetroot tahini, and you’ll have a middle eastern inspired salad that won’t disappoint.

    A bowl of Spicy Mango Avocado Salsa

    Spicy Mango Salsa with Avocado

    12/14

    Outrageously easy to make, our Spicy Mango Salsa with Avocado is super popular for the crowds. Fresh, zesty with a good kick of jalapeno, you will love this delicious salsa variation.

    Green Mango Salad with Grilled Pineapple and Salty Tamarind Dressing on 2 white plates with sauce on the side and silver fork and spoon

    Thai Green Mango Salad with Salty Tamarind Dressing

    13/14

    Combining exotic flavours in salty tamarind dressing served with prawns, crunchy green mango, grilled pineapple and cucumber, this Thai Green Mango Salad recipe is super refreshing.

    Great starter to get the taste buds moving.

    Spicy Asian Chicken Salad in a grey bubble plate

    Spicy Asian Chicken Salad

    14/14

    Get your taste buds moving with our delicious Spicy Asian Chicken Salad.

    Packed with fresh crunchy vegetables and tossed together with a hot chilli garlic soy dressing, this shredded chicken recipe is perfect for entertaining the crowds.


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jar Of Lemons

      April 16, 2021 at 6:11 am

      Wonderful tips to relieve the heat! Never heard of hot water. I will definitely give that a try next time! Great hot salad selection here as well!

      Reply
      • The Devil Wears Salad

        April 21, 2021 at 8:48 am

        The hot water trick is something I grew up with and tbh, it burns when you first drink it but the relief is almost instant. Just be careful not to have boiling hot water and drink it slowly!

        Reply
    2. Debra

      April 15, 2021 at 3:48 am

      Oh, you’re totally speaking my language here. We love salad and also love spicy food! I’ve pinned so many of these so we can make them.

      Reply
      • The Devil Wears Salad

        April 21, 2021 at 8:48 am

        Thanks so much Debra! Hope you find some in there you’ll really love.

        Reply
    3. Michele H Peterson

      April 15, 2021 at 2:15 am

      What a fantastic collection of spicy hot salads.And thanks too for the tips on how to reduce the heat if you’ve tried something too hot. I hadn’t heard of drinking milk so will give that a try instead of water. I wonder if it would also work if you get hot pepper on your hands?

      Reply
      • The Devil Wears Salad

        April 21, 2021 at 8:47 am

        That’s a really good point! I’ve done that before and once, I rubbed my eye too…. what an idiot.

        Reply
    4. Angela

      April 15, 2021 at 1:45 am

      I don’t know which one to choose, they are all so good. I love spicy food and tonight I’m making Spicy Chicken Salad.

      Reply
      • The Devil Wears Salad

        April 21, 2021 at 8:46 am

        We love spicy food too! Love being able to incorporate that into salads. Hope everyone enjoyed the spicy chicken salad:)

        Reply
    5. Maddie

      April 15, 2021 at 12:57 am

      I’m always looking for new salad recipes for lunches for myself and my husband. Can’t wait to try these out! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • The Devil Wears Salad

        April 21, 2021 at 8:46 am

        You’re welcome Maddie! Hope you find a new favourite!

        Reply

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