GREEN BEAN, LEMON ROAST FENNEL SALAD, MAPLE VINAIGRETTE
This is a lovely summer side.
It would work well as a side, or collection of summer dishes. If you’re looking to create a plant based spread, you could serve alongside the butterbean hummus, purple potatoes, stuffed courgette flowers. If you wanted to make this a stand alone meal, add some beans or grains to the mix.
Serves 4 as a side
1 bulb fennel
1 red onion
½ unwaxed lemon, finley sliced
20g rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
300g green beans
30g roast almond
20g / small bunch Thai basil and roughly chopped parsley
For the dressing
2 clove garlic, sliced
40g olive oil + 2 tablespoon
10g maple syrup
20g cider vinegar
Salt and pepper - pinch
Preheat the oven, to 220c. Slice the fennel in half and then each half lengthways into 6. Peel and slice the the same way, Mix the fennel with rapeseed oil, salt and pepper and the sliced lemon. Spread over a parchment lined baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, the fennel should be tender and golden. Use a knife to test the centre, if should slide in easily. Remove from the oven and let cool.
While the fennel is cooking, bring a large pan of well salted water to the boil. Prepare an ice bath alongside the pan. This is water with plenty of ice cubes to shock the beans when they’re out of the pan. Using the ice bath after blanching stops the beans from cooking and helps them to retrain their beautiful bright green colour.
Once the water is boiling, carefully drop in your green beans. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the beans are tender. Immediately remove from the water and put straight into the ice bath. Leave here for a few minutes to cool.
Remove and drain.
To make the dressing. Heat a small pan on low - medium heat with the 2 tbsp olive oil, add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is golden. Remove from the pan as soon as the garlic takes on colour, transfer into a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and mix, add the garlic then the rest of the salad ingredients. Mix and serve.
