Description
A vibrant Autumn vegetable salad featuring charred rainbow carrots, courgette, and broccoli tossed with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and basil, all brought together with a fragrant saffron dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 12 rainbow carrots, tops left on, washed and peeled
- 1 medium courgette, sliced
- 8 stalks long-stem broccoli, any thick stalks halved lengthways
- 100g mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle
- 3 plum tomatoes, scored, blanched, peeled, deseeded and cut into small pieces
- Handful black olives, stoned and sliced
- ½ cucumber, cut lengthways, seeds removed and sliced at the angle
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped basil
Other Ingredients
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil (for grilling vegetables)
Saffron Dressing
- 20ml cider vinegar
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch saffron strands
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 50ml extra virgin rapeseed oil
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Char Vegetables: Heat a griddle pan over medium-high heat. Place the carrots, courgette slices, and broccoli stalks into a large mixing bowl, lightly season with salt and pepper, then toss with 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil. When the griddle is hot, add the vegetables in batches and let them char for about 3-4 minutes each side to develop a smoky flavor. Transfer them back to the mixing bowl once charred.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add the halved cherry tomatoes, sliced spring onions, peeled and deseeded plum tomatoes, sliced black olives, cucumber, and roughly chopped basil to the bowl with the charred vegetables. Toss everything together gently to mix.
- Prepare Saffron Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, saffron strands, caster sugar, and a pinch of salt until the sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk in the 50ml extra virgin rapeseed oil to emulsify the dressing. Stir in the finely chopped shallots.
- Dress and Serve: Pour the saffron dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat all the ingredients evenly. Serve immediately to enjoy fresh and vibrant flavors.
Notes
- To blanch plum tomatoes, score the skin, submerge in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, then immerse in ice water to peel easily.
- The charred vegetables add a smoky depth, but avoid overcooking to keep a pleasant bite.
- The saffron strands should be soaked or lightly ground for better infusion.
- This salad is best served fresh to maintain the crispness of the vegetables.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: European
Keywords: Autumn vegetable salad, saffron dressing, charred vegetables, healthy salad, vegetarian, seasonal vegetables
