With this weather my cravings for crisp healthy salads is irresistible. I have my go-to salads and halloumi has been top of the list of late. But with all this sunshine, new salad ideas are required… ASAP! Hello, roast broccoli salad.
Two things to say about broccoli. Over cooking it is a disaster – a delicious crisp and tasty vegetable turns into a yellow/ brown mush with a very unpleasant taste. Hands up I’m going to be really patronising here… but I’m fully convinced the reason broccoli sometimes gets a bad rap is just because it’s so often over-cooked.
Second thing to say about broccoli is that it’s so good for us. I know there’s much disagreement about what we should and shouldn’t be eating and what foods should and shouldn’t be promoted as forming part of a healthy diet. But seriously, I think we’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t agree that broccoli is a great food to include in our diet.
Keep reading for this simple recipe and if you try it at home, drop me a message to let me know what you think. PS: I served mine with a dollop of homemade pesto on the side (a garlicky feast for a lover of all things garlic)!
Roast Broccoli with Pine Nuts & Feta
(serves 2)
Ingredients
1 head of broccoli
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 tbsp pinenuts
100g feta, crumbled
For the dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
Juice of half a lemon
4-5 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped
4-5 leaves of rocket, finely chopped
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6.
Roughly chop your broccoli into small florets and the stalks and root into bite size pieces. Place on a baking tray with the crushed coriander seeds, garlic and a pinch of sea salt. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. With ten minutes to go, add your pine nuts. Once roasted, remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little.
Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients, including the finely chopped basil and rocket to a jar, put the lid on and shake well to combine
In a bowl, toss the broccoli and pine nuts with the crumbled feta. Add half the dressing and toss well. Tip onto your serving bowl and finish by drizzling the remaining dressing on top.
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