First notion of some Summer weather and I’m already thinking about making Summer salads. Although I’m completely obsessed with anything Christmas and festive, Summer is by far my favourite season of the year. I just think everything looks and feels better in the sunshine and I’m always so much happier! I’m a July Summer baby, so naturally it’s a time of year I look forward to for that reason too.
Despite sometimes getting a bad rep for being a little boring, I’m a huge fan of salads and pretty much always have been. But no, I’m not talking about those lonely servings of limp lettuce leaves with a rather questionable dressing tossed over them that you get served in a restaurant. If I’m going to make a salad, then I’m going all out. There needs to be a good combination of texture, flavours and of course vibrant colours. They’re a great way to pack a dish full of incredible micronutrients and also use up whatever left over veggies that you might have lying around in the fridge. They’re super easy to put together and so easily customisable. they’re also a great thing to make ahead of time; so are ideal if you’re looking for something to take as a working lunch or want to prep in advance to serve to friends.
This salad has all of my key components to create a completely winning dish. There’s fresh greens, fruit, warm veggies, delicious dressing and also a nice salty kick from the olives. This is something that I know I literally waffle on about all of the time, but until late last year, I genuinely can’t believe that I used to hate olives. Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to just sit here and tuck into. whole bowl of them; but they add SO much flavour to pastas, sauces, pizza and salads, which I’m really into at the moment.
Ingredients
- 1/2 head fresh cauliflower
- Olive Oil for cooking
- Pinch cumin
- Large Handful Pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cucumber
- 3 large handfuls of kale
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
- Tbsp honey/agave syrup
- Sea salt and pepper
- 1/2 Jar fragata Chorizo Stuffed Olives
Method
Preheat your oven to 190c and line a tray with baking paper.
Chop the cauliflower into florets and scatter these over the tray with a little olive oil, salt and cumin, then toss together.
Roast in the oven for around 40 minutes until nice and crisp!
Meanwhile, to make the dressing for the salad, combine the olive oil, honey, lemon juice & season with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then mix well.
Add the kale into a bowl and drizzle over a little of the dressing and massage this in.
Slice the cucumber into quarters and olives into halves.
Toss these through the kale, along with the pom seeds and then the cauliflower once cooked. Add an extra drizzle of the dressing or serve on the side.
