Mediterranean marinated salad
Inspired by Mediterranean cooking methods, this salad of roasted vegetables has a rich flavour cut by a piquant dressing. It is one of those any-time salads – ideal for a healthy mid-week meal with lots of crusty bread, some pasta or couscous; good as a dinner-party starter; or delicious with grilled fish, poultry or meat.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 aubergine, cut into 1 cm (½ in) thick slices
- 1 red pepper, quartered lengthways and seeded
- 1 yellow pepper, quartered lengthways and seeded
- 4 baby courgettes, halved lengthways
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or spray oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 4 canned anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp very finely chopped fresh rosemary
- salt and pepper
- sprigs of fresh rosemary to garnish (optional)
- Honey mustard dressing
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
Prep:6hr ›
Ready in:6hr
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF, gas mark 6). Lay the aubergine slices in a single layer in a large roasting tin. Arrange the red and yellow peppers and courgettes around the aubergines, placing them cut sides up.
- Brush or spray the vegetables lightly with the oil. Scatter the garlic, anchovies and chopped rosemary over the vegetables, and add seasoning to taste. Roast the vegetables for 25–30 minutes.
- Cover the vegetables with foil and roast for a further 10–15 minutes or until they are tender. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large dish, layering them neatly, then drizzle the cooking juices over them.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the vegetables. Cover and leave to cool completely, then put the vegetable salad in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours.
- Remove the salad from the fridge 1 hour before serving so it can return to cool room temperature. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary, if you wish.
Some more ideas
Replace the courgettes with 225 g (8 oz) plum tomatoes, halved, and use fresh thyme instead of rosemary. Roast the aubergines and peppers for 30 minutes, then add the tomatoes and roast for a further 15 minutes without covering with foil. * For a vegetarian version, omit the anchovies and add 2 tbsp chopped capers instead.
Plus points
Aubergines are satisfyingly filling but low in calories – 100 g (3½ oz) contains just 15 kcal. They are renowned for absorbing oil when fried, but cooking them this way keeps the fat content very low. * Rosemary is said to stimulate the nervous and circulatory systems, and soothe the digestive system. * Courgettes provide vitamins B1 and B6. * All of the vegetables in this dish are useful sources of fibre, and they provide lots of vitamins and minerals.
Each serving provides
Excellent source of vitamin C. Good source of folate, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin E. Useful source of iron, niacin, potassium, vitamin B12.
