Originally this was going to be a salad made with raw or blanched Brussels sprout leaves, but with this week’s cold weather ideas soon switched to a warm roasted salad. It’s equally delicious to eat at room temperature leaving time for the vegies to soak up the dressing flavours.

Serves 6 as a vegetable accompaniment

500g Brussels sprouts, bases trimmed, halved (or quartered if large), tough outer leaves removed

1 head of romanesco broccoli, cut onto florets 

Cape Schanck Picual Extra Virgin olive oil, for drizzling

sea salt

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted

Dressing:

1 piece of preserved lemon (1/4 of a lemon section) peel, remove the pith and flesh

1 small garlic clove

½ teaspoon sea salt 

1 small banana shallot, roughly chopped 

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves

1/4 cup Cape Schank Picual Extra Virgin olive oil

sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced)

Spread the Brussels sprouts and romanesco over the base of a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat vegetables in oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt to season.  Roast for 20 minutes or until just cooked through and a little charred on the outside. 

Meanwhile make the dressing. Place all ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor and blend to combine well, the leaves are coarsely chopped and the mixture paste like. 

Combine the hot roasted vegetables and dressing in a large bowl, gently tossing to coat well.  Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle over sunflower seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Alternatives:  substitute the romanesco with cauliflower.  Add warm cooked chickpeas to the vegetables and dressing for a substantial warm salad meal. 

Fiona Hammond © July 2019