Every day meal prep – pot luck – lunches on the go I was recently invited to run a workshop at Farm My School, an amazing social enterprise on the Bellarine peninsular. The criteria for my recipe was that it would use as many veggies as they had growing as possible as well as being easy, tasty and a good meal prep option.
So, I created this recipe with their late summer harvest of carrots, beetroots, red onion, lemons, parsley and mint. It can be transported easily for lunch on the go or the perfect addition to a picnic.
In this very simple, versatile and delicious salad you will be getting between 10-15 different plants onto your plate in the one dish! Not to mention the variety of colour. Fresh and crunchy herbs, hearty roasted veggies, whole grains, legumes, spices, nuts and seeds are balanced with delicious sweet sour and salty pickled goodies.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use what you have on hand and adjust accordingly to make it your own (hence the title!) and use up what you have growing in the veggie patch or hanging out in the fridge!
Serves: 4 as a main, 8 as a side Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Difficulty: Easy
Salad1-1.5kg (Approx. 4-6 cups) veggies, washed and chopped (root veggies like carrot and beetroot work well - use what you have)
1 large bunch fresh herbs (2 Cups tightly packed), stalks removed and roughly chopped - (parsley, dill, coriander, mint or a combination of these all work well)
1 x 400g can legumes (or 1.5 cups cooked) drained and rinsed (brown lentils/chickpeas/butter beans/cannellini beans are all great)
1 cup whole grain of choice (brown rice, quinoa and millet all work)
¼ cup currants (dried cranberries are delicious too)½ cup something pickled (capers or pickled red onions work well)
Dressing½ cup milk (your choice - I used almond)
3 tablespoons nut or seed butter (tahini, almond, cashew all work well)
1 lemon, juiced1 tablespoon real maple syrup1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin1 handful herbs, finely chopped (I love fresh mint, parsley or dill)
pinch salt
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius, fan forced.
Step 2. Remove stalks, wash and chop your root veggies into wedges approx. 2cm thick. Line two oven trays with baking paper or a reusable silicone non-stick baking sheet and spread the veggies on the trays. Drizzle both trays of veggies with a generous amount of olive oil, a dash of maple syrup or honey (optional) and a sprinkle of salt. Place in the oven to roast for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Stir half way through cooking to ensure they cook evenly.
Step 3. Rinse your grains well and cook as per your grain of choice. e.g. for brown rice - add to a small to medium saucepan with 2 cups of water, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer until all water is absorbed. Turn the heat off and place the lid on for a few minutes before siring to 'fluff up'. Then drain and rinse your legumes of choice. Pick herbs of the stalks and roughly chop your herbs of choice.
Step 4. Add all dressing ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Step 5. Assemble all of your salad ingredients as you wish in a large serving bowl. Serve hot or cold with your tahini and herb dressing on the side.
Tip: Store salad and dressing separately in in an airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes and tips:
Meal prep - This salad keeps for longer in the fridge when it is undressed. Store dressing in a separate airtight container.
Some veggies will hold their shape better than others after roasting. For example, carrot, beetroot and parsnip. However, you can use any veggie you like in this salad. Just be aware that veggies such as pumpkin, sweet potato, zucchini, squash and capsicum will not hold their shape as well when still hot after roasting. They will firm up in the fridge though.
Toasted or fresh nuts and or seeds are also delicious sprinkled or mixed through this!
Fresh peppery rocket can also work in place of, or in addition to the herbs.
Fresh raw veg that grows in the same season can work as an addition to this salad. For example, chopped capsicum, cucumber or tomato.
Another delicious option is to crisp up the lentils/chickpeas/butter beans or cannellini beans in the oven. It takes an extra step but can be done in the oven when the veggies are cooking. Simply add a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt, toss and spread on a lined baking tray. Roast for 10-15 minutes or so, stirring half way.
If if you have a high speed blender with a narrow base you can mix your dressing in that or hand blend. Up to you!
