The Throw-it-all-in Rainbow Salad with a Green Herby Dressing
My favourite type of lunch when I’m short on time has to be a vibrant salad using anything and everything I can find in the fridge and dry storage. This epitomises the term ‘count your colours, not your calories’ and sets you up nicely for hitting the recommended target of 30 different plant foods per week (which can include vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, wholegrains). There’s a lot of flexibility here based on what you have at home and as leftovers, but the basic recipe is set out below. This is a wonderful batch cook option to eat throughout the week too. You can add more protein by serving with some fish, meat, an egg or some tempeh.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, deseeded and cubed (approx. 2cm thick)
1 large aubergine, roughly chopped
drizzle olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tsp paprika
100g rocket leaves
100g mixed salad leaves
2 bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 whole cucumber, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, sliced
50g cherry tomatoes
100g feta, crumbled
½ pomegranate, seeds
50g pumpkin seeds, toasted
50g pine nuts, toasted
Dressing:
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
½ tbsp chopped parsley
½ tbsp chopped basil
pinch salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C fan and line a large baking tray.
2. Add the chopped butternut squash and aubergine into a mixing bowl and toss with a little olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the salad. Throw the salad leaves, chopped peppers, cucumber, celery, and cherry tomatoes in large mixing bowl and toss together well.
5. Pulse all of the salad dressing ingredients in a high speed blender.
6. Once the roasted veg are cooked and cooled slightly, add these to the bowl.
7. Mix through half of the dressing and add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Assemble in a large salad bowl and top with the crumbled feta, pomegranate seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds and pine nuts.
9. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then serve. Top with your favourite protein for an extra boost.
