Caramelised Mushroom, Tomato & Pepper Grain Salad with Fresh Herbs.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the dressing:

Juice of ½–1 lemon (to taste)

2 tbsp olive oil

Optional: 1 tsp Dijon mustard or a drizzle of honey

For the Salad

300g mushrooms (chestnut & shitake), halved or thickly sliced

2 red pepper, cut into 2cm chunks

2 yellow or orange pepper, as above

300g cherry tomatoes

Cooked wholegrains of your choice (farro, spelt, barley or quinoa), I used a mix of Hodmedods’s grains: Emmer, Organic Pearled Naked Barley, Wholegrains Black Barley & Gluten-free Naked Oat groats.

300g Chickpeas

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)

1 tbsp Ottolengi pomegranate lemon & rose harrisa

1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 handful fresh basil torn

2–3 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Toasted pine nuts

Method

1. Cook the grains

Prepare your grains. Drain and mix with your legumes of choice (either butter beans or carlin peas) with the harrisa.

2. Caramelise the mushrooms

Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms in a single layer (cook in batches if needed).

Leave them undisturbed for a few minutes to develop colour, then turn and cook until deeply golden. Season with salt, black pepper and a sprinkling of lemon juice

3. Roast peppers and tomatoes

Add the cut peppers and tomatoes and roast for 20 minutes until softened and slightly charred.

Add garlic (if using) for the final minute.

4. Combine

On a large platter or open bowl, place the cooked grains and legumes topped with the mushrooms tomatoes & peppers.

5. Dress and finish

Add lemon juice, olive oil, and any optional dressing ingredients.

Fold through the fresh herbs.

6. Taste and adjust

Adjust seasoning, acidity, and oil to balance.

7. Sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts