Broccoli, Chickpea & Grain Salad with Sumac, Peanut & Barberries Dressing
This is a rich, indulgent salad, thanks to the peanut butter dressing, but it is delicious! Having said that - how much dressing you add to the vegetables is your choice. I make the dressing and put half on the salad and serve the remainder in a bowl with a ladle for people to have a choice.
The other choice you have is to either lightly cook the brocolli and serve it as florets OR to leave the brocoli raw and grate it or very finely chop it As with all salads think 2/3’s vegetable base with 1/3 either all legumes or a mix of legumes and wholegrains.
This will keep for a few days in the fridge and is a great lunchbox recipe.
Serves: 4 - 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Ingredients
For the dressing:
120ml olive oil
100ml apple cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons sumac
4 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter (I used Pip’s- it has NO Palm oil)
2 teaspoons red Miso paste (I use Organic ‘Miso Tasty’ paste as it contains a gut-healthy* culture.
For the salad:
300g Wholegrains - I used a mix of Hodmedods’s grains: Emmer, Organic Pearled Naked Barley, Wholegrain Black Barley, & Gluten-free Naked Oat Groats
.
570g Jar of Queen Chickpeas
2-3 x large broccoli heads (I used a mix of normal broccoli and tenderstem) cut into florets (I usually cut the stalks into this rounds & use them as well)
OR you can have a completely different texture - more like a tabbouleh- using raw broccoli: Peel and discard as much of the tough skin from the brocoli stalks - simply grate or very finely chop the whole brocoli.
2 x baby gem cut up or lambs lettuce
20g fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
80g roasted whole pistachio nuts or almonds
50g barberries (or goji berries)
Pomegranate seeds (80g might be enough but add more if you love them like I do!)
Method
1. Cook the grains
Cook the grains according to packet instructions until softened but retaining some bite.(or if you’re
short of time like me - I put them all in one saucepan together so some are nuttier than others as I
like the different textures . Drain if necessary.
2. Prepare the broccoli - see above for options
Microwave (which i usually do if I’m not doing huge quantities), steam or blanch the broccoli for
3–4 minutes until just tender while still keeping a vibrant green colour. Drain well.
OR use the broccoli raw and prepare as above in the introduction.
3. Make the dressing
In a bowl or jug whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, sumac, miso and
peanut butter until smooth. If needed, loosen with a small splash of water.
4. Assemble the salad
Place the salad leaves on the base of a large shallow bowl or around the edge of a platter. Add the
cooked grain, chickpeas, broccoli, barberries, mint and half of the nuts to the centre .
5. Finish and serve
Pour over the dressing and toss well so everything is coated evenly. Scatter over the remaining nuts
and pomegranate seeds before serving.
