Salads
Roasted purple sprouting salad with Mediterranean flavours
Roasted purple sprouting broccoli tossed with capers, olives, roasted cherry tomatoes and crunchy croutons and topped with fresh basil and hard boiled eggs. This is a rustic panzanella-niçoise salad hybrid, combining strong Mediterranean ingredients to great effect. Nothing more is needed for an excellent vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
- 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in ½ crossways
- olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 200g purple sprouting broccoli, cut into even-sized pieces
- 150g stale sourdough or ciabatta, broken into chunky bite-sized pieces
- handful fresh basil leaves
- lemon juice, to taste
- 2 tbsp capers
- 12 black olives
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. First, make the roasted tomatoes (you could make them in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge).
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Step 2
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, place the tomatoes on the tray, cut side up, and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes.
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Step 3
Put the eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, depending on size. Drain and refresh in very cold water to stop the edges of the yolks from turning grey.
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Step 4
Increase oven temperature to 200°C/Gas 6. Toss the purple sprouting broccoli in a baking tray with a little oil to coat and season with salt and pepper.
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Step 5
Toss the bread in oil on another tray and season. Roast. The bread will take 20-25 minutes or so to crisp up.
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Step 6
The broccoli might take a little longer, depending on size; it should be just starting to brown and crisp up. Toss both half way through.
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Step 7
Blitz the basil leaves with 4 tablespoons of oil (a hand blender is ideal). Add a squeeze of lemon to taste.
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Step 8
To serve, carefully peel the eggs and cut into wedges. Toss gently with the rest of the ingredients, drizzling in the basil oil dressing and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.