Cauli, Kohlrabi & Apple Salad
This simple but delicious salad uses a range of fresh local vegetables.
It makes an impressive side dish to a dinner spread or, if you double the quantity of lentils, is great as a stand-alone meal.
The recipe comes from Kali Hamm, a member of Growing Communities - a Hackney-based community enterprise that delivers fresh organic veg bags around North and East London.
Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main course
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower head
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 60g black lentils – 120g for main course
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ bunch cavolo nero, washed
- ½ kohlrabi, peeled
- 1 small apple
- 20g mint, roughly chopped
- 20g parsley, roughly chopped
- Juice & zest 1 lemon
- 75ml olive oil
- 30g roasted almond
Herb sauce
- 20g parsley
- 20g coriander (use the stalks as well if you have them)
- 1 clove garlic
- juice ½ lemon
- 150ml olive oil
Method
Pre heat your oven 200c and cut the cauliflower into florets, slicing the stems as well. Place in a roasting tray and coat with the melted coconut oil.
Roast for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned.
While the cauliflower is roasting prepare the rest of your ingredients. Boil the lentils with the bay leaves in plenty of water. Cook for 15-20 minutes until tender but still have bite.
Drain, dress with a little oil and set aside.
While the lentils are cooking cut or tear the kale into bite size pieces. Choosing your self whether to use the stems. When the cavolo nero is very young and fresh the stems are quite tender but larger ones can be very tough and chewy.
Massage with a drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon. Thinly slice the kohlrabi. If you have a mandolin use this to make nice thin slices, do the same with your apple, dress both with lemon juice. Add to the kale along with the lentils, the cauliflower and rest of your ingredients and taste for seasoning.
To make the green sauce simply blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Taste for seasoning.
Some useful tips :
- When making a salad like this it helps to either season and dress all the ingredients separately or at the end once everything is mixed. This will ensure they are all balanced and seasoned just right.
- With the kale, if it’s a little older or tougher the earlier you massage in the dressing the more tender it will become. This is a good leaf to take for lunch as it doesn’t become soggy like other salad leaves.
- Adding lemon to the apple straight away is important to stop it oxidizing and turning brown.
