Broad bean and Little Gem salad
This is such a lovely fresh tasting broad bean salad, ideal for a summer buffet or alfresco meal. For meat eaters, add six rashers of crispy fried, crumbled bacon.
Ingredients
For the croûtons
- 450g/1lb thick slices white bread
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 300g/10oz frozen baby broad beans
- 6 Little Gem lettuces
- 100g/3½oz Parmesan, or vegetarian hard cheese, cut into shavings with a vegetable peeler
For the mustard dressing
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 8 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp double or single cream
- 1 rounded tbsp caster sugar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the croûtons, preheat the grill to hot. Cut the crusts off the bread and discard. Cut the bread into even-sized small cubes. Sit a plastic bag in a bowl, pour in the oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the cubed croûton to the bag and shake, tossing the cubes in the seasoned oil. Tip the bread out on a baking tray and place under the grill. Turn until they’re evenly browned – watch them all the time to prevent scorching and shake occasionally to make sure they brown evenly.
For the salad, cook the broad beans in boiling water for about 3–4 minutes, or until tender. Drain and refresh in cold water. Remove the beans from their pods and set aside.
Trim the very ends off of the Little Gem lettuces but keep the root intact. Slice each lettuce into six wedges. Arrange on a platter, scatter with beans and parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
For the mustard dressing, measure all of the dressing ingredients into a clean jam jar, season with salt and pepper and seal with a lid and shake until combined. Pour over the dressing, toss and serve.
