Description
A quick and simple rocca salad that’s full of flavour, packed with freshness and vibrant colours. It’s great served as a side or a light meal.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup / 30g walnuts, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (300g / .66 pounds)
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced into half moons
- ¼ a small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
- 1 stem mint (10–15 leaves), leaves removed and chopped
- 40g / 1.4 ounces vegan feta, chopped (optional)
- 50g / 1.76 ounces rocket (rocca, arugula, roquette)
- ½ cup / 75g pomegranate arils / seeds (about ½ a pomegranate)
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sumac (optional)
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional, add 2 teaspoons more vinegar and 1 teaspoon maple syrup if subbing)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Lightly toast the chopped walnuts on low-medium heat in a pan. Once they release some of their natural oils and turn slightly darker, remove them from heat, transfer them to a plate to cool, and set them aside.
- While the walnuts toast, chop the tomatoes, removing the seeds and liquid from them.
- Next, prepare the cucumber, onion, mint and feta and add them, along with the tomatoes to a large bowl.
- Rinse and drain the rocket well. Using a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible is best. Add the rocket along with the pomegranate to the bowl.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a small jar and give it a good shake to combine.
- Pour the dressing, add the walnuts to the salad, and give it a light toss to coat everything.
- Serve straight away.
Notes
Yield: 4 as a side and 2 as a light meal. Add some canned lentils that have been drained and rinsed to bulk up the dish.
Want to prepare it in advance? If you’d like to prepare this salad ahead of time, make sure you keep the dressing and salad separate. Only mix it together before serving to keep it from going soggy. The other ingredient to consider keeping separate is the feta. If it comes in oil, add it when serving as well.
Want to change it up? This salad is very easy to adapt. For example, don’t have onions on hand? Use spring onions/scallions instead. Want to simplify it? Remove the cucumber, vegan feta and mint from the salad. It’s really up to you in which direction you’d like to take it!
- Diet: Vegan
