Festive Season 2021 - Green Pesto Salad

This year I’m hosting Christmas on the family farm. I love hosting Christmas at the farm because there’s lots of space for the children to run around and I have a super big farm kitchen with a massive preparation bench.

Salads are my specialty and I love serving lots of different types. If you’re wanting to add some greens to your table, this one won’t disappoint. In this recipe I have used beans, broccoli and peas but you can include blanched asparagus and snow peas to give more goodness to the recipe.

The pesto gives this salad an extra kick and brings more complexity to the dish. This recipe can be eaten warm or at room temperature and can accompany any meat dish you might be serving up. It’s super nutritious and healthy but be sure not to overcook the greens (they’ll lose their vibrant green colour and lose some nutritional value).

Ingredients

• 1 cup green beans

• 1 cup frozen (or fresh) green peas

• 1 cup broccoli florets

• 2 lemons zest and juice

• 3 tablespoons of pesto

Pesto Ingredients

• 2 cups basil leaves

• ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts

• 1 crushed garlic clove

• ½ cup of olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Method

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and whilst waiting place 1-2 trays of ice cubes in a large bowl and cover with cold water.

• Add broccoli florets to the boiling water first, and let cook 1 minute before adding the frozen peas, and the green beans. Let cook another 2 minutes, then drain vegetables and place them in the cold icy water. 

• Once the vegetables are cold, shake them dry and place them in a serving bowl

• Place the 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, 1 crushed garlic clove, in a food processor. Process the ingredients until the mixture is a fine paste. Season with salt and pepper.

• To emulsify the mixture, with the motor running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil in a thin, steady stream until well combined.

• Toss vegetables in the bowl with the pesto and serve (only use as much pesto as desired and the remaining can be placed in an airtight container in the fridge of 3 days.

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