Recipes: Summertime salads

Broad bean, fennel & radish salad with lemon & tahini dressing

• Vegan
• 2 of your 5 a day
• Preparation time:15 minutes + chilling
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

500g frozen baby broad beans, defrosted and skins removed (double podded)
200g radishes, each cut into 6 wedges 
½ red onion, finely sliced 
28g coriander, finely chopped
1 small preserved lemon, drained, flesh discarded, rind finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced 
juice of 1 lemon
25g flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin

For the dressing
75g tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed

Method

1. First make the dressing: in a bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients with 75ml cold water until emulsified. Season to taste.

2. Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the lemon and tahini dressing, toss well, then chill in the fridge until needed.  

Cook’s tip: Try with canned cannellini or flageolet beans, rinsed and drained, in place of the broad beans.  

Warm sweet potato, chilli & halloumi salad

• Vegetarian
• Preparation time:15 minutes
• Cooking time:20 minutes
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes (about 175g-200g each), washed but unpeeled
4 tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground nutmeg
Juice ½ lemon, plus extra wedges, to serve
150g honey
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
500g packs halloumi, halved horizontally
1 medium free range egg, beaten
50g instant polenta
90g pack wild rocket
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp oregano

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the whole, unpeeled potatoes, bring back to the boil and cook for 8 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into chunks.

2. Warm a large frying pan over a high heat. Add half the oil, and when hot add the potatoes and fry for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until just golden. Grate over some nutmeg, drizzle with the lemon juice and honey, and scatter over the chilli. Bring to a simmer for 30 seconds, then remove everything to a large plate or bowl, and keep warm.

3. Wash and dry the frying pan, and return it to the heat. Dip the halloumi in the beaten egg, then in the polenta to coat. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan over a high heat. Cook the coated cheese for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until golden. Cut into chunks.

4. Place the warm potatoes, halloumi, rocket, sesame seeds and oregano onto a large platter or individual plates. Drizzle over the warm honey dressing from the potatoes before serving with crusty bread and lemon wedges to squeeze over. 

Kale Niçoise salad

• Total time: 25 minutes
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

200g baby jersey royal new potatoes
200g kale
40ml French dressing
2 medium free range eggs 
230g bunched asparagus, trimmed
150g tuna steak in spring water, drained
65g essential pitted black olives

Method

1. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain and chill in ice water. Meanwhile, wash the kale under hot water (but not too hot to touch) for 3 minutes discarding thick stalks. Do a quick final rinse in cold water, strain and toss with French dressing in a large bowl.

2. Place the eggs in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil, simmer for 5-10 minutes (depending on your choice of soft or hard-boiled egg), cool in cold water and peel.

3. Slice the asparagus into 2.5cm pieces. Steam or boil for 2 minutes then rinse in cold water. Halve the boiled eggs and boiled potatoes and break up the tuna steak. Divide the kale into 2 bowls and add the asparagus, egg, potato, olives and tuna. 

Prawn, black rice, avocado & mango salad

• Gluten Free
• Preparation time:10 minutes
• Cooking time:20 minutes
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

125g black rice
125g cooked, peeled prawns 
1/3 cucumber, cubed
½ ripe mango, stone and skin removed, cubed
½ ripe avocado, cubed
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
pinch chilli flakes
1 salad onion, sliced

for the dressing
1 tsp fish sauce
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
 

Method

1. Cook the rice according to pack instructions, then drain. Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

2. Place the rice in a large bowl with the prawns, cucumber, mango and avocado. Pour over the dressing and toss then season to taste.

3. Divide between 2 bowls and then top with sesame seeds, chilli flakes and onion before serving.

Ham, feta & soya bean salad

Ingredients

200g frozen soya beans
100g Greek feta, crumbled
50g British honey roast ham, shredded
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped mint
100g bag mixed salad
 

Method

1. Cook the soya beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Mix with the feta and ham.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the oil and vinegar together, and stir in the mint and season. Pour over the feta mixture and toss gently into the salad.

3. Serve with toasted wholemeal pitta bread. 

Mozzarella & avocado salad

• Vegetarian
• Preparation time:5 minutes
• Cooking time:15 minutes
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 x 6 cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
200g Burrata cheese (vegetarian) or Buffalo Mozzarella (not vegetarian), drained and sliced
1 ripe Avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced
10 large fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Place the tomatoes in a small roasting tin. Scatter with the garlic, olive oil and seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes until the tomato skins are bursting.

2. Meanwhile, share the cheese slices between 2 serving plates. Spoon the hot tomatoes and their juice over the slices. Place the avocado pieces next to the cheese, then scatter with the torn basil leaves and a drizzle of the balsamic vinegar. Serve with ciabatta to mop up the juices.

Recipes and images from Waitrose.com