Confession: I’m a lifelong green salad avoider and am generally opposed to raw broccoli (don’t get me started on raw cauliflower). But this moreish, substantial salad, inspired by a broccoli dish they serve at the restaurant Dishoom, will have even the most hardened salad sceptics converted – it’s packed with colour, flavour and texture and, unusually, tastes just as good the next day in a lunchbox. And, as you’ll see, I avoid the raw broccoli issue by quickly blanching it before adding the dressing. Serve with hot flatbreads (gluten-free, if required) and hummus alongside for a filling, colourful dinner.
Serves: 2 today, 2 tomorrow
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Ingredients:
200g mangetout, halved lengthways
1 broccoli, florets thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
6 medjool dates, stoned and sliced
100g pecans, roughly chopped
For the dressing
2 limes, zest and juice (you need 50ml juice)
50ml olive oil
1 inch ginger, finely grated
1 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra as needed
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
Method:
- Tip the mangetout, sliced broccoli and red onion into a large bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to blanch for 2 minutes before draining well.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the lime zest and juice, olive oil, ginger, sea salt and red chilli for the dressing in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, mix the drained mangetout, broccoli and onion with the dressing, medjool dates and pecans. Taste and adjust the salt as needed, then serve. The colour will be less vibrant the next day, because the lime juice in the dressing dulls the colour of green veg, but it'll taste fabulous.
