Winter Rainbow Salad

Felicity Vincent
Feb 23, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Aug 1, 2024

This winter salad is perfect if you're looking for something zesty, fresh and nutritious to brighten up those gloomy days.

This serving method for purple sprouting also works great as a starter or side dish (with a roast for instance).

Ingredients: (serves 4)

Purple sprouting:

200g purple sprouting
1 red chilli
1 lemon, zested and juiced
10g mint
30g almonds

Roasted turmeric & mango cauliflower:

1 cauliflower
2 tsp nigella seeds
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 Tbs mango chutney
1 Tbs EVOO
S&P

Tempeh marinade:

2 tsp miso paste
6 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs rice vinegar
Pinch of chilli powder

Immunity Carrot ribbons:

3 carrots
10g ginger
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 lemons, juiced

Creamy Dressing:

1 lemon, juiced
3 Tbs tahini
Salt and black pepper

Method:

Start off by roasting the cauliflower:

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Snap off the leaves around the cauliflower. Peel the larger ones then chop roughly into a large dice. Then chop the core and florets of the cauliflower into the same size.
Rinse in cold water, strain and pat dry then place on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil then add the mango chutney and spices. Rub with fingers to coat the cauliflower fully.
Roast in the oven for 1 hour, making sure to stir half way through. The cauliflower should brown and go sticky.

Marinade the tempeh:

Slice the tempeh into 1cm thick rectangles and steam for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, stir the marinade ingredients until combined and adjust seasoning to taste.
Cover the hot tempeh slices in the marinade and leave to sit for 30 minutes at least.
Lay out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes at 200°C or until crispy. You can replace the tempeh with firm tofu or chicken, just remove the steaming stage.

Prepare the purple sprouting:

Cut the purple sprouting in half lengthways.
Roughly chop the chilli, almonds and mint on a board by going back and forth in a rocking motion with a knife, or use a food processor.
Blanch the purple sprouting in salted boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and run under icy water until cold to maintain the green colour.
Coat the purple sprouting with the chopped aromatics, the zest and juice of one lemon, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of EVOO. Adjust salt to taste.

Prepare the carrot ribbons:

Peel the carrots, then continue to peel them to obtain ribbons. Once you reach the centre, turn the carrot 45° and continue peeling, repeat until you have gone round the entire carrot and are unable to get anymore ribbons. You can snack on the little bit that's left.
Peel and grate the ginger.
In a large bowl cover the ribbons with the lemon juice, ginger and turmeric powder. Stir until evenly coated.

Mix the dressing:

Juice one lemon into a small bowl. Add the tahini and whisk until it stiffens up, then slowly whisk in cold water until it becomes a creamy and pourable consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the salad:

Add cooked basmati rice or noodles to a large plate/bowl.
Top with a couple spoonfuls of each element.
Finish with a bit of kimchi if you want a little final touch.
Bon appétit!

Full Video:

More about this recipe:

Purple sprouting are in season and I find this almond, chilli & mint dressing really makes them sing! It’s a great side dish as is but here I’m incorporating it into a salad with other seasonal favourites: carrots and cauliflower.

It’s lovely to have warm cosy recipes in the winter, but sometimes I find I just need something fresh to cut through, this salad really hits the spot. It's full of colour, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

In particular, it's full of antioxidants, great for immune boosting in the winter as it's full of vitamin C, and the healthy dose of turmeric is great for reducing inflammation.

For protein, I’m adding tempeh but you can easily substitute it with tofu or chicken.

Replace the honey in the marinade for maple syrup to make this recipe vegan.