Salad of Broad Beans, Giant Cous Cous, Apricots Vegan Hard Cheese
“Lovely seasonal salads that are delicious on there own or as a side for BBQ treats”
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 500g broad beans – Podded
- 150g Giant couscous
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 4 Apricots – Halved, stone removed and each half cut into 3 wedges
- 150g Vegan cheese – Finely grated
- 1 garlic clove – Peeled
- 1 bunch mint – leaves only
- 1 lime – Zest & juice
- 150ml Olive oil – good quality one where possible
- Sea salt
- Cracked pepper
Method
1. Remove broad beans from there pods, quite easy, you will find a point overhanging piece at one end of the pod, pull this down and pull open, the beans will fall out.
2. Bring a pan of water to a boil, add beans and cook for 2 minutes, drain and place in iced water. Remove the outer casing from the bean and place the broad beans onto a kitchen towel.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the giant couscous, stir until golden, takes about 2-3 minutes to add a touch of turmeric, stir then add a little water and cook for about 6 minutes, adding the water just adds a bit of moisture, drain, run a small amount of water through the couscous and leave to one side.
4. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, add mint leaves, blanch for 10 seconds, remove the leaves and add to iced water, this stops them cooking further, drain the leaves and squeeze out excess water.
5. Place the leaves, garlic and olive oil into a blender and pulse till smooth, taste for seasoning before spooning into a storage bowl.
Pickled shallots
- 1 Banana shallots, peeled and sliced into rings
- 100ml white wine vinegar
- 75h white fine sugar
- 70ml water
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 Bay leaf
- 3 Thyme Sprigs
- 2 Cardamom pods – Crushed
- 2 pieces of orange zest
Method
Place all of the ingredients into a pan, bring to a fast boil, about 2 minutes, cool, add the shallot rings and leave for an hour for the salad, but longer if you want them for other dishes
Plating Up
1. Take a small amount of the broad beans, couscous, apricots, vegan cheese, shallots and mint puree for garnishing later.
2. Place the remainder of the ingredients into a mixing bowl, add the mint puree, a touch of lime juice and zest, gently mix, season if needed.
3. Place the salad into a nice serving bowl and garnish with reserved ingredients; finish with more lime zest and a touch of extra olive oil
TIPS
Use any vegetable trimmings for compost
Recipe provided by Andy Aston. For more delicious recipes follow him on Instagram @aston_andrew. Or get in touch with him here.
About the author:
My earliest food memory was aged 8-9, I walked into our home kitchen, not feeling too happy, mum was singing, a big pot was simmering, the smells amazing, she was covered in flour and rolling something out with a glass milk bottle (Pastry for an apple pie) the atmosphere was calming, comforting and exciting, this experience shaped my future in Hospitality
Nothing beats the changing of the seasons when we get an abundance of what nature has to offer and the harvest that our producers work so hard to cultivate. This brings a lot of happiness to our kitchens and is something that I love to endorse.
Cooking has afforded me an incredible 28-year career that has taken me across the world and introduced me to some amazing cuisines and kitchens, these experiences have given me great knowledge and a passion for a style of cooking which is predominately plant-based.
With so many types of vegetables, fruit, grains, pulses and nuts, available throughout the year, we really can enjoy a much richer and varied diet and with a bit of creativity, you can have enjoyed some delicious experiences.
If you have any questions, need advice or just looking for a few tips, I’d love to hear from you.
Enjoy getting creative!
Andy
