Broad Bean Salad
Broad beans are one of the first vegetables of early summer. When I was a child, we ate broad beans
from our own garden every year on my father's birthday, on the first of July.
A large bowl of broad beans would be shelled on top of old newspapers. The large pods were velvety
soft on the inside, and nestled in those soft velvet beds were the green broad beans.
My mother always served them with new potatoes and mustard sauce.
I still grow broad beans in my own vegetable garden every year. Their season is short—they are a true seasonal vegetable, although frozen broad beans are available year-round.
This salad is best made with fresh broad beans, ideally picked straight from the garden.
Peeling the outer skins from half of the cooked broad beans gives the salad a lovely contrast in both texture and colour.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Serves 2
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Ingredients
• 450 g shelled broad beans (freshly shelled or frozen)
• A handful of mixed salad leaves
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• A small bunch of chives, finely chopped
• A few edible flowers (such as borage or oregano flowers), optional
For the vinaigrette
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Method
Cook the broad beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly. Peel the outer skins from half of the beans, then gently mix the peeled and unpeeled broad beans together.
Add the salad leaves, sliced spring onion and chopped chives, and toss gently.
Whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients until well combined, then drizzle over the salad and toss carefully to coat.
Garnish with a few edible flowers before serving. (optional)