Broccoli, Beetroot & Orange Salad with Pearl Barley

Recipe Serves 6 as a side

Broccoli, Beetroot & Orange Salad with Pearl Barley

Ingredients

30 minutes plus one-hour cooking

 

200g pearl barley

1 vegetable stock cube or 2 tsps bouillon

400g raw beetroot (or use vacuum packed beetroot)

400g sprouting broccoli

4 tbsps olive oil

2 tsps fennel seeds

1 tsp mild chilli flakes, such as Aleppo pepper

1 blood orange or regular orange

Salt & black pepper

 

For the dressing:

250ml natural yoghurt

2 tbsps Mrs Bridges Beetroot & Red Onion Chutney, plus extra to serve

1 clove garlic, grated or very finely chopped

1-2 tbsps cold water

Salt

Follow The Recipe

Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan.

Put the whole raw beetroot in a lidded ovenproof dish. Drizzle over a tablespoon of olive oil and season well with salt. Rub the beetroots to make sure they are covered in oil and salt, put the lid on the dish and put them in the oven. Cook for one hour or until the beetroot can be easily pierced with a knife. Once the beetroots are cooked take them out of the oven and allow them to cool in the dish with the lid on, this will make them easier to peel. Once they are cool enough to handle peel off the skins, you should be able to do this with your fingertips and cut into wedges. If you are using vacuum packed beetroots no need to cook them just cut them into wedges.

Trim the sprouting broccoli to remove any tough bits of stem. Put the broccoli on a large baking tray, drizzle over two tablespoons olive oil, add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes and a generous sprinkle of salt. Toss the broccoli in the oil until it is all coated in the seasonings. Put the broccoli into the oven with the beetroot and roast for 20 minutes until slightly crispy.

Put the pearl barley and vegetable stock cube or bouillon into a medium saucepan, cover generously with cold water and put on the hob over a medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and once boiling turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the barley is soft but with a bit of bite. Drain the pearl barley and allow to cool a little. Once cool add the final tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt and black pepper and mix well.

To make the dressing put the yoghurt, Mrs Bridges Beetroot and Red Onion Chutney and garlic in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and mix well with a small whisk or fork. It will turn a delightful pink colour. If the dressing is a bit thick for drizzling add a tablespoon of cold water and mix again.

Cut the bottom and top off the blood orange so it just sits flat on the chopping board.  and then carefully cut the peel off the sides. Once all the peel is removed use a very sharp knife to cut the orange into thin rounds.

To assemble the salad spread a generous amount of the yoghurt dressing on your serving dish, add half the pearl barley on top and then add half the beetroots and broccoli and a few pieces of orange followed by a generous drizzle of the dressing. Pile the remaining pearl barley onto the dish and then add the remaining beetroot, broccoli and orange on top. Dollop on some Mrs Bridges Beetroot & Red Onion Chutney and serve any remaining yoghurt dressing on the side.

This dish can be served warm, or you call let all the elements cool to room temperature before assembling.