The best summer salad, we think, is one that has just a few well combined ingredients.
We collaborated with Wida Richard to come up with some energising post-festive season tasty stuff. Wida’s pea, mint and aubergine summer salad gets our thumbs up for balmy mid-summer night’s dinners under the stars. Also great for a simple, clean supper for two, to make together on date night in.
Recipe
Serves 2
Prep Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Total Time : 35 minutes
Ingredients
{ for the salad }
200g baby spinach leaves
20g mixed baby herbs & salad leaves such as basil, mint & red chard
150g cooked Nature’s Garden garden peas
5-6 baby aubergines
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried smoked chilli flakes
a few sprigs of fresh edible flowers
50g walnuts (roughly chopped)
salt & pepper to taste
{ for the dressing }
juice of half a lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
salt & pepper to taste
Method
{ for the salad }
Rinse spinach and salad leaves and gently pat dry with kitchen towel.
Arrange spinach, salad & herb leaves on a platter.
On the stove top, heat a grill pan on high heat.
Cut off the stems of the baby aubergines.
Slice the aubergines lengthways (4-5 slices per baby aubergine)
Brush one side of the aubergine slices with olive oil and place oil side down in the grill pan.
Brush the top sides of the aubergine slices with olive oil.
Grill for about 5 minutes on one side and turn slices over.
Grill for another 5 minutes or until cooked.
If not cooked after 10 minutes, flip the aubergine slices every minute or so.
Once aubergine is cooked, remove from grill pan and set aside on a large plate for two minutes.
Place grilled aubergine on top of spinach and salad leaves.
Add garden peas and walnuts to salad, evenly.
Place sprigs of fresh flowers on top of salad.
{ for the dressing }
Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar with a screw on lid.
Shake well to combine.
Drizzle over salad.
Notes
Serve slightly warm with crusty bread.
Always be sure to use organic flowers, free from pesticides.
</div class=”wrapper”>Recipe by Wida Richard for Natures Garden
