Ingredients
4 medium raw beetroots
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra to finish
½ tsp caster sugar
1-3 tsp savoury chilli sauce or paste (Tabasco or Mexican Cholula hot sauce, for instance)
2 medium avocados, peeled and thinly sliced
small handful of coriander and mint leaves
large handful of pea shoots
150g fresh peas or broad beans, blanched and refreshed (skin the broad beans if using).
Summary
We’re using a bit of star power here, which feels warranted for this THE LAST WEEK of our crowd funding campaign. Yotam Ottolenghi is the man of the moment and in town with a new book, in which I found this seasonal delight for all things Melbourne in Springtime. C’mon Yotam, you and your delicious combinations of veggie salads can help get us over the line!
Either broad beans or peas are great for this, and they’re both for order in our webstore along with Dan’s pea sprouts, creamy avocados and local beetroots.
Peel and thinly slice the beetroots. If using large beetroots then halve them after peeling, and cut into slices). Put the beetroot in a pot with plenty of boiling water and blanch for just 3-5 minutes, until semi-cooked. Drain and refresh under cold water, and place in a large bowl. Add the red onion, vinegar, oil, sugar, chilli sauce, 1 tsp salt and some pepper to the beetroot bowl and toss everything together gently. Leave to one side for 15 minutes, to make a delicious semi-pickled bowl of pink flavours.
When ready to serve, here’s how you plate up an impressive salad like Yotam. Spread half the beetroot mixture on a large platter or in a shallow bowl. Top with half the avocado, coriander, mint, pea shoots and peas / broad beans. Add the rest of the beetroot and arrange the remaining ingredients on top. Drizzle with a little oil and serve.
*Image from theguardian.com
