Grain, Greens & Borlotti Bean Salad
This is the type of salad I really love. It’s wholesome, packed with goodness, full of flavour and has great texture. I love chewy grains like spelt, rye and pearl barley far more than softer, fluffier grains like quinoa or couscous. The combination of chewy grains, the creamy beans and crunchy vegetables works beautifully. The sharp dressing, along with the pesto, really brings the salad to life. It’s also wonderfully flexible, so use what you have, trust your instincts and don’t worry too much about perfection. These are the sorts of dishes made for sharing around a busy kitchen table, when entertaining, in lunchboxes, at picnics, at BBQs and so on.
Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Mains, Salads, Side Dish
Cuisine International, Mediterranean, Middle Eastren
Servings 4 - 6 people
Ingredients
- 200 g cooked spelt Kamut, rye or quinoa
- 1 x 400g tin borlotti beans drained and rinsed
- 150 g frozen peas defrosted
- 2 ripe avocados cut into bite-sized chunks
- 200 g cucumber about ½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 150 g frozen peas defrosted
- 100 g celery thinly sliced (1–2 sticks)
- 100 g fennel thinly sliced (about ½ small bulb)
- 1 ripe avocado cut into thin wedges
- 12 green olives
- 30 g your favourite salad leaf; rocket cress, wild garlic leaves, baby spinach and so on
- 50 - 100 g of your favourite pesto
Dressing
- 100 ml red wine vinegar
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp honey
- ¼ tsp 1/2 clove, finely minced
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Method
- Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small jar, season well with salt and black pepper, then give it a good shake.
- Place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss together gently so everything is lightly coated.
- Transfer to a large serving platter, spoon over the pesto in generous dollops and serve at once
Maggie's Tips
- This is a very adaptable salad, so don’t worry too much about exact ingredients or quantities. Use whatever is seasonal and good.
- It will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, although the avocado and green vegetables will lose their vibrancy. Roasted squash, beetroot or carrots work beautifully here too.
- Crumble over a little feta, goat’s cheese or blue cheese for creaminess and tang.
- Lower Carb Option: Spoon more of the vegetables onto your plate and less of the grain. Alternatively, swap the grain for either lentils or chickpeas - bonus being you get a good protein hit.
- Gluten Free Option: Replace Spelt with a gluten-free grain such as Buckwheat, Millet or Quinoa. Or swap the spelt for lentils or chickpeas.