Wash and dry all vegetables. Finely shred the cabbage and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Grate the carrots, thinly slice the red onion, dice the green bell pepper and cucumber, halve the garden eggs or cherry tomatoes, and slice the green onions. Add the corn kernels to the bowl with the other vegetables.

Taste a small piece of the red onion; if it is too sharp, soak the sliced onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and add to the bowl.

Proteins & crunchy add-ins

Prepare proteins and crunchy components

Boil eggs for 9–11 minutes until hard boiled; cool, peel, and chop. If using cooked chicken, dice into bite-size pieces; if using smoked fish or shrimp, flake or chop into pieces and remove bones. Fry or roast yam cubes: peel and cube yam, toss with a little oil and salt, roast at 220°C/425°F for 20–25 minutes until golden, or shallow fry until crisp. If using plantain chips or roasted peanuts, roughly crush them with the side of a knife or in a resealable bag.

Add the chopped boiled eggs, diced protein, and crushed chips/peanuts to the mixing bowl with the vegetables.

Dressing

Make the dressing

In a medium bowl or jar, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime or lemon juice, honey (or sugar), mustard, salt, black pepper, cayenne or minced Scotch bonnet (if using), and oil. Whisk or shake vigorously until smooth and well emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more lime for acidity, honey for sweetness, or salt/pepper as needed.

If you prefer a lighter dressing, thin with 1–2 tablespoons of water or additional lime juice until you reach the desired consistency.

Assemble salad

Combine salad and dressing

Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad mixture in the large bowl. Gently fold the dressing into the salad with a spatula or large spoon until vegetables and proteins are evenly coated. Taste and add more dressing if needed, but be careful not to overdress — Nigerian salad is usually lightly coated so ingredients remain crisp.

Adjust seasoning with extra salt, pepper, or lime juice if necessary.

Transfer the dressed salad to a serving platter or bowl. Sprinkle the chopped parsley or cilantro over the top and finish with the reserved crushed plantain chips or extra fried yam crisps for crunch.

Chill for 15–30 minutes if making ahead to let flavors meld, but serve within 2–3 hours for best texture (otherwise the chips will soften).