SPRING SALAD

Salads like this are an assortment of spring. I have combined some of my favourite ingredients to create this crunchy spring salad. Feel free to add your own twist and to use what is available to you.

Serves 4

2 bunches asparagus, woody ends removed

250g baby spinach

Handful flat leaf parsley, leaves only

1 medium red onion

½ tsp sugar

1 lemon, juice only

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 flat breads, roughly torn

1 tsp sumac

Pinch sea salt flakes

30g pinenuts

Method

Bring a pot of slightly salted water to the boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Remove and plunge immediately into iced cold water to stop cooking, drain.

Place the baby spinach and parsley leaves into a serving bowl and chill until required.

Finely slice the onion into rounds and place into a small bowl, sprinkle over the sugar and squeeze over ½ the lemon (about 1 tsp). Set aside for at least 10 minutes, drain, reserving the onion.

Heat the oil in heavy based fry pan, add the flat bread and fry until golden and crispy, remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with sumac and sea salt.

Add the pinenuts to the oil and fry until golden and crisp. Remove and set aside.

To assemble the salad; scatter over the lightly pickled onion, toasted bread and pinenuts, season lightly with sea salt flakes and when ready to serve squeeze over lemon juice and a little oil from the fry pan.

Serve immediately.