Broccoli Salad with Pumpkin & Peppers
Introduction
Get your chops around this – colourful, crunchy, bursting with flavour, and so good for you!
Serves: 6
Ingredients
750g (1¼-1 ½ pounds) firm-fleshed pumpkin (I use grey-skinned crown pumpkin)
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red peppers (capsicums/bell peppers)
500g (about 1 pound) broccoli, cut into florets
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1½ Tbsp sherry (or red wine) vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Handful of basil leaves
½ cup black olives
100g (3-4 ounces) feta cheese
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into small cubes. Put the pumpkin in a shallow ovenproof tin or dish, such as a Swiss roll tin (jelly roll pan), lined with baking (parchment) paper. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper, then lift the sides of the paper to help mix the pumpkin pieces with seasonings and oil. Bake the pumpkin in a preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until nearly tender and lightly golden. Cool.
2 Roast the peppers by placing them in the flames of a gas element or over a barbecue grill and cook until charred, turning with tongs. When completely blackened, transfer to a plate, cover with paper towels and leave until cool. Slip off the blackened skins – easily done using paper towels – and cut the peppers into fat strips, reserving any juices to add to the dressing.
3 Plunge the broccoli into a saucepan of lightly salted water and cook for 3 minutes only, then drain and refresh with icy cold water. Dry off with paper towels.
4 Whisk extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, shallots and garlic together in a small bowl with ½ a teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste, and any reserved pepper juices.
5 Put the broccoli, pumpkin, peppers, basil and olives in a large bowl and toss carefully together. Rewhisk the dressing and pour it over the salad, then toss very carefully, adding the feta, and serve immediately.
Recipe notes
The main thing to watch here is not to overcook the pumpkin. In the blink of an eye, it goes from nearly cooked to overcooked. You want to catch it at the point where it still has some resistance so that it will hold up in the salad. Additionally, be aware that it continues to soften on its own as it cools, so factor this into your calculations as well. If you overcook it, toss everything else with most of the dressing, add in the pumpkin and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
You can of course char the peppers under an oven grill. Alternatively, cut the peppers into chunks, drizzle with a little oil, and roast them in a hot oven until they are browned and slightly tender.
Also check out Broccoli Stir-fry with Chilli, Ginger & Oyster Sauce
Photography http://www.aaronmclean.com