Salad in winter? No, thank you.

What if it were warm though, and included seasonal veg and flavours which made it far easier to get your greens in? Hmm, sounds slightly more convincing.

This is the salad for that. As much as I love hearty meals through the colder months, I often find myself craving crispy leafy greens, but the thought of eating them cold is completely off putting.

The beauty of this light lunch or side, is that it includes a few leafy & fresh greens, that become slightly warmed by the roasted vegetables when they’re tossed together. The broccoli and sprouts are roasted with apple cider vinegar, to give them brightness in flavour, which balances perfectly with the warmth they gain when they caramelise a little in the oven where they become a burnished green.

The roasted veg, toasted and fragrant walnuts along with fresh greens and zingy dressing make for a delightful variety of textures & flavours leaving you with a salad that’s far from boring and wanting more.

Notes:

Greens - I like to use whatever leafy green that’s in season or that I have available for this salad. During winter I alternate between Romaine, spinach, rocket and other hearty greens like kale and chard.

-If using a tougher green like kale or chard, I recommend adding the remaining dressing to these first and massaging them with your hands, this makes them far easier to chew & allows for the dressing to coat them well.

Herbs - If you can’t find dill, adding fresh mint instead is an excellent alternative, which I highly recommend you try!

Time: 30 minutes/ Serves: 4/ Easy

Ingredients

450g Brussels Sprouts
1 Head Broccoli
1 Head of Romaine Lettuce (or leafy green of choice)
1/2 Large Cucumber
Large handful Dill
2 Tbsp Dried Mint
100g Walnuts
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 250°C Fan/230°C/Gas Mark 8
Chop the broccoli (the stem included) into small florets, and cut the sprouts in half
Place them on a baking tray, and pour on half the olive oil, half the apple cider vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 Tbsp pepper, give it a mix to ensure all the veg are well coated, and flatten them out in one even layer on the tray
Roast for 20 minutes, you’ll know they’re done by their change in colour to dark green with caramelised edges
Meanwhile toast the walnuts in a dry pan, this should only take 3 or so minutes. The walnuts are fully toasted once you can start to smell them, and they start to gain a slightly darker colour
Once they’re done, transfer them to a small plate so that they don’t burn
Roughly chop your lettuce (or chosen green), the cucumber & dill and add them to a large mixing bowl
The broccoli & brussels sprouts should be ready by this point, and you’ll know so by their change in colour, to dark green with caramelised edges
Add the roasted veg to the same bowl as the lettuce, cucumber & dill
Pour over the remaining olive oil & apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tbsp of salt & pepper to taste
Top the salad with the dried mint, and walnuts, by crushing and sprinkling both with your hands. This will make the mint more fragrant, and leave the walnuts in rough chunks
Drizzle with extra olive oil if you wish
Serve!