Fresh herbs, garlic, pine nuts and raisins are blended together to create the perfect dressing to flavour the lentil salad and it pairs so well with the lamb.
This Week
2 Dec - 8 Dec
Cauliflower and Lentil Salad with Sweet Coriander and Pine Nut Pesto and Lamb
- Under 1 hour
- 4
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Meal Prep Guide
Chop 1 head of cauliflower into bite-size florets (store in an airtight container in the fridge)
Toast 3 Tbsp of pine nuts (store 1 Tbsp in an airtight container in the pantry) NOTE – the other 2 Tbsp are for the dressing.
Prepare the salad dressing (store in an airtight jar in the fridge)
- 1 cup fresh coriander
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 Tbsp raisins
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts (toasted)
- Salt
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until combined.
Prepare the pickled onions.
Tips
- Bring the lamb to room temperature (or remove from the fridge for about 15 minutes before cooking) to allow even cooking of the meat.
- Let the lamb rest for a few minutes to allow the juices settle back into the meat so it’s perfectly tender and juicy.
Shortcuts
- Swap out the pickled onion for some finely sliced red onion.
Shortcuts
Vegetables
- Swap rocket for spinach or roughly chopped cos.
- Add some extra roast vegetables to the salad like carrots or eggplant.
Protein
- Swap lamb loin fillets / backstrap for a rack of lamb, or lamb chops.
- Swap lamb for eye fillet or grilled chicken thighs.
- For a vegetarian option, omit the lamb and make the salad more robust. Add 2 carrots (cut into battens) and roast at the same time as the cauliflower. Add some cooked quinoa (about ⅓ cup uncooked) and some feta.
Other
- Swap lentils for quinoa or black rice.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 large cauliflower (cut into bite sized florets)
- 400g tin black or brown lentils (drained or rinsed)
- 60g, ½ bag rocket
- ¼ cup coriander (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup mint (roughly chopped)
- 1 Tbsp pine nuts (toasted)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ portion of pickled onion
Raisin and pine nut dressing
- 1 cup fresh coriander
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 Tbsp raisins
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts (toasted)
- Salt
Lamb
- 600g lamb lion
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan bake and remove the lamb from the fridge, allowing it to get to room temperature.
- If you didn’t make the fattoush salad, you’ll need to make some pickled onions.
- Add cauliflower to a large roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and crispy, approx 25 – 30 min.
- To make the dressing, add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until combined.
- To cook the lamb, rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Preheat a heavy-based pan, griddle pan or BBQ over medium-high. Once hot, add the lamb and cook for 3 minutes or until browned on each side for medium rare. Once cooked, place onto a plate, cover with foil and rest for 5-10 minutes.
- While the lamb is resting, prepare the salad. Add the drained lentils and roasted cauliflower to a large bowl, then pour over ¾ of the dressing; toss to combine.
- Just before serving, add the rocket to the salad and give it a gentle toss. Add the salad to a large serving plate or platter and top with fresh coriander and mint, pine nuts and pickled onion.
- Serve the salad alongside the lamb and a drizzle of the extra dressing.
Variations
Vegetables
- Swap rocket for spinach or roughly chopped cos.
- Add some extra roast vegetables to the salad like carrots or eggplant.
Protein
- Swap lamb loin fillets / backstrap for a rack of lamb, or lamb chops.
- Swap lamb for eye fillet or grilled chicken thighs.
- For a vegetarian option, omit the lamb and make the salad more robust. Add 2 carrots (cut into battens) and roast at the same time as the cauliflower. Add some cooked quinoa (about ⅓ cup uncooked) and some feta.
Other
- Swap lentils for quinoa or black rice.
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