Another super easy and hearty salad for you today!
I love this salad for lunch with some spicy rocket leaves and a dollop of hummus, as a side-dish or all on its own. It’s an array of textures and flavours so really doesn’t need any adornment.
Who’s on team roasted cauliflower?! I absolutely adore it and am (almost) certain that even self-proclaimed cauliflower haters will love it too. I’m not particularly keen on plain ole steamed cauliflower, even less so when it’s steamed to death and sulphur smelling…raw or roasted is the way to go.
I could eat a whole head of it roasted in olive oil with salt and pepper and call it lunch but this salad is more of a balanced meal and even more delicious.
I paired the roasted cauli with beautifully sweet roasted red pepper - Another vegetable that benefits from a stint in the oven, it gets ultra sweet and takes on a slightly smoky taste if you leave it in long enough to pick up a bit of a char.
You might remember the Buckwheat Risotto with Mushrooms & Hazelnut Cream I shared last year? One of my favourite recipes on the blog to date.
Buckwheat works magically there in place of rice with its lovely toothsome texture and nutty flavour. It’s a (pseudo) grain I use a lot in both sweet and savoury recipes and it’s just as good in this salad.
All you need to finish things off are a handful of toasted walnuts for some crunch and parsley, lemon & shallots/red onion for a bit of freshness and zing.
Ingredients
- 1 Small cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1 Red pepper
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil (divided)
- 1/2 C Buckwheat
- 1/4 C Roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/3 C Roughly chopped parsley
- 1/2 Shallot OR 1/4 Red onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp Lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C/400F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Add the whole red pepper to the baking sheet. Roast the vegetables for 20-30 minutes until the cauliflower is brown and crisp at the edges and the pepper is charred and soft (You may need to remove the cauliflower from the baking sheet and cook the pepper an extra 5 or so minutes).
- Chop the red pepper into pieces, removing most of the papery skin. It should come off easily.
- Meanwhile, cook the buckwheat. Rinse well then place in a saucepan with 1C water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer, covered for approx 15 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat and leave to sit, covered, while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Toast the walnuts in a small pan over medium-high heat or on a small baking tray in the oven for approx 5 minutes.
- Stir together all the ingredients, including the remaining Tbsp of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
It’s a “Bank Holiday” weekend here in the UK so an extra day of free time for playing in the kitchen! Especially as it’s supposed to be rainy…
What are you planning on making? Long weekend or not.
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