This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience.

Cookie Settings

Company logo
Green head login icon
Green delivery truck icon FREE UK Mainland Delivery over £49
Green shop front icon 10,000+ products - Shipping worldwide since 1963
Rated "Excellent" by our customers
See our 4,718 reviews on Trust Pilot
See our 4,718 reviews on Trust Pilot

Search recipes

Filter your search:











Search tips...

Rated "Excellent" by our customers
See our 4,718 reviews on Trust Pilot
A snowy background advertising our Christmas Health Food Shop
A banner saying how to sign up for our mailshots
A banner of ultra processed food and healthy green vegetables

Spring Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pesto And Cherry Tomato Salad Recipe

The Spring is here, and with it, purple sprouting broccoli ! There are endless ways of preparing this highly nutritious and stunningly beautiful cruciferous, but as with all spring vegetables, I prefer light cooking methods, to keep them vibrant green and still slightly crunchy. Try this warm salad of braised purple sprouting on a bed of rocket dressed with green or red pesto and, optionally, top with a little mozzarella, vegetarian parmesan or pecorino. Don't miss my trick for halving cherry tomatoes in 5 seconds ... Make a homemade pesto out of wild garlic, baby spinach, nuts, olive oil, a little sea salt and lemon juice for a delicious garlic kick. Equally delicious cold, served as a starter. Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter.

Customer Rating:
5.0 (1 votes)

Posted by: michael
On:

Cuisine

British

Time

< 15 mins

Skill Level

Newbie

Serves

2

Courses etc.

Detox
Main Courses
Starters

You will need

IngredientAdd
250g purple sprouting broccoli

Awaiting stock

 		More products
250g cherry tomatoes More products
2 generous handfuls or about 125g rocket or wild rocket More products
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil More products
1 lemon, juiced More products
2 Tbsp Biona green pesto OR More products
2 Tbsp Biona pesto rosso OR

Awaiting stock

 		More products
2 Tbsp homemade pesto, like wild garlic pesto
about 50g vegetarian hard cheese, freshly grated, Optional OR

Awaiting stock

 		More products
a small (125g) mozzarella ball, roughly shredded, Optional OR

Awaiting stock

 		More products
00g sheeps or goats feta cheese, crumbled, Optional

Awaiting stock

 		More products
freshly ground black pepper More products
pinch smoked sea salt, optional More products

Need help converting measurements? View our recipe measurement conversion tables here.

Method

  • Rinse the purple sprouting broccoli and cut off the end of the stems. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and halve them.
  • Tip : To halve cherry tomatoes, place them on a small plate. Cover with another plate ; you want a gap between the two plates. Using a large and sharp knife, and maintaining the top plate in place, slice horizontally through the gap between the 2 plates. Lift the top plate and marvel at your perfectly halved cherry tomatoes.
  • Wash and drain the rocket, then dress it with 2 Tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice and the pesto. Set aside.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan that has a lid, and the remaining Tbsp olive oil in a smaller frying pan that also has a lid.
  • Put the purple sprouting broccoli in the large frying pan, sprinkle with smoked sea salt, if using. Toss and put the lid on, allowing the purple sprouting broccoli to braise for just 2 minutes.
  • Braise the cherry tomato halves in the exact same way : put them sliced side down in the smaller frying pan, put the lid on and allow to braise for just under 2 minutes.
  • To assemble : lay a bed of dressed rocket on dinner plates. Arrange the braised purple sprouting broccoli and cherry tomatoes over and top with the vegetarian parmesan or pecorino, the mozzarella or the feta cheese. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve.

Please rate this recipe and/or send us your comments or questions

Collapse arrows icon

Write a review

E-mail:

Shopping List

Picture of Purple Sprouting Broccoli UK ORGANIC
Purple Sprouting Broccoli UK ORGANIC
Real Foods (1pack)
£2.50
Awaiting stock
Picture of Cherry Tomatoes on the vine ORGANIC
Cherry Tomatoes on the vine ORGANIC
Real Foods
Picture of Rocket ORGANIC
Rocket ORGANIC
Phantassie (each)
£2.55
Picture of Italian Olive Oil ORGANIC
Italian Olive Oil ORGANIC
Suma (500ml)
£11.65
Picture of Lemon ORGANIC
Lemon ORGANIC
Real Foods (each)
£0.85
Picture of Black Peppercorns ORGANIC
Black Peppercorns ORGANIC
Real Foods
Picture of Smoked Sea Salt
Smoked Sea Salt
Maldon (125g)
£3.09