Try this marinated baby marrow, broad bean and walnut salad with lime and olive dressing is a flavourful green salad that is best served with a fresh baguette. It’s also great as a side dish with grilled fish or roasted chicken.
Marinated baby marrow, broad bean and walnut salad with lime and olive dressing
Ingredients
- Dressing: (makes 1 cup)
- ½ onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large gherkin, diced
- 250g (1 cup) green olives, pitted
- 3 stalks parsley, chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) red wine vinegar
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lime juice
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) sugar
- 15ml (1 tbsp) Dijon mustard
- a pinch of ground cumin
- 125ml (½ cup) olive oil
Salad
- 140g (4 medium) baby marrows, washed
- 60ml (¼ cup) fresh lemon juice
- 60ml (¼ cup) olive or avocado oil
- 5ml (1 tsp) crushed garlic
- 15ml (1 tbsp) chives, finely chopped
- 1,25ml (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
- 210g (1¾ cups) broad beans, shelled
- 90g (3 cups) baby spinach
- 1½ avocados, thinly sliced
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
- 75g (¾ cup) walnuts, toasted
- microherbs, to serve
Instructions
For the dressing, place the onion, gherkin, olives, parsley, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, mustard and cumin in a mixing bowl. Use a hand blender to blitz until slightly coarse. Whisk the oil in by adding it in a slow, steady stream. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the salad, use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice the baby marrows. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, garlic, chives and black pepper, and use this as a marinade for the baby marrow ribbons. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the beans until tender, 4 – 5 minutes. Refresh the beans in cold water and remove the skins.
Divide the baby spinach leaves between 4 plates. Add slices of avocado and scatter the spring onion on top. Divide the marinated baby marrows and beans between the plates, and add toasted walnuts and microherbs just before serving. Drizzle with the olive dressing and serve immediately.
Notes
Try grilling the baby marrow ribbons before marinating for added flavour. Add flaked salmon or tinned tuna to bulk up the salad and turn it into a light lunch or dinner.
