Rose Elliot’s New Complete Vegetarian

Fennel and cucumber salad v

The mixture of fennel and cucumber is refreshing and clean-tasting, and this salad is excellent for when you’re in a hurry because it’s very simple to make. It goes well with many pasta dishes.

SERVES 4

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cucumber

1 large fennel bulb

a little sugar (optional)

Put the vinegar, oil, salt and a grinding of pepper into a salad bowl and mix together.

Peel the cucumber and cut into medium-sized dice. Wash, trim and slice the fennel, discarding any coarse leaves but including any tender feathery leaves.

Add the cucumber and fennel to the dressing mixture in the bowl and stir well.

Check the seasoning – just a touch of sugar can be pleasant in this salad – then serve.

Flageolet and avocado salad v

I’m particularly fond of this tasty, colourful salad.

SERVES 2 AS A SALAD MEAL, 4 AS A STARTER

125g (4oz) dried flageolet beans, soaked, cooked and drained, or 400g can, drained and rinsed

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

¼ tsp mustard powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 ripe avocado

a few crisp lettuce leaves, to serve

2 tbsp chopped chives, to garnish

Put the beans into a salad bowl.

Mix the oil with the vinegar, mustard and some salt and pepper and add to the beans.

Halve the avocado and gently remove the skin and the stone, then slice the flesh and add it to the beans. Turn the mixture gently, so that everything gets coated with the dressing. Serve on top of the lettuce leaves and sprinkled with chopped chives.

VARIATION

Flageolet and button mushroom salad v

Use 175g (6oz) sliced button mushrooms instead of the avocado.

Flageolet and spring onion salad v

Use 6–8 large spring onions, trimmed and chopped, instead of the avocado.

French bean salad with a coriander seed dressing v

French beans and button mushrooms are marinated in a spicy dressing of crushed coriander seeds, lemon juice and olive oil.

SERVES 4–6

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

450g (1lb) button mushrooms, halved or quartered

1 small bay leaf

1 tbsp coriander seed, crushed

juice of 1 small lemon

450g (1lb) French beans, cooked and drained

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the mushrooms, bay leaf and coriander seeds for 2–3 minutes or until the mushrooms are beginning to soften.

Remove from the heat and pour in the lemon juice; add the beans, parsley and some salt and pepper.

Leave until completely cold, then transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge before serving.

Fusilli salad with rocket and avocado v

Pasta spirals with buttery avocado make a good first course or summer lunch.

SERVES 4–6

225g (8oz) fusilli

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1–2 garlic cloves, crushed

freshly ground black pepper

a large handful of rocket

2–4 spring onions, finely chopped

2 avocados

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until just tender, then drain thoroughly.

Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic and some salt and pepper in a large bowl, add the hot pasta, turning it until well coated.

Cool slightly – it doesn’t have to be completely cold – and add the rocket and spring onions.

Halve each avocado, removing the skin and stone, and dice the flesh. Sprinkle with lemon juice to preserve the colour.

Fold the avocado into the pasta mix, together with the spring onions. Check the seasoning and serve.

Greek salad

Instant nostalgia to anyone who loves Greece and has happy holiday memories of being there. Sometimes when I’m in that mood, I’ll go the whole hog and serve this with spanikopita and some tzatziki too.

SERVES 4–6

2 green peppers

1 cucumber

450g (1lb) firm tomatoes

1 medium-sized sweet onion

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper

a handful of kalamata olives

200g (7oz) feta cheese, cut into 1cm (½in) dice

½–1 tsp dried oregano

Deseed the peppers and cut them into chunky pieces; peel the cucumber and cut that into chunks, too; slice the tomatoes and the onion. Put them all into a bowl.

Drizzle in the oil, lemon juice and vinegar and mix gently, adding salt and pepper to taste, followed by the olives and cheese; mix again, gently.

Serve scattered with dried oregano.

VARIATION

Greek salad with roasted red peppers

Above is the traditional Greek salad we know and love, but recently I was served the salad with some embellishment in the form of the roasted red peppers. This, I hasten to add, was in England, not Greece, but I found it rather good. All you do is put 2 large red peppers on a baking sheet and grill them under a high heat for 20–25 minutes until the skins are blistered and blackened in places, and when the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, remove the core and seeds, rinse and cut into pieces. Add these to the salad, made as described but without the green peppers. You might like to snip some fresh oregano over the top instead of using dried.

Green salad v

A green salad can be adapted according to the season, and is perhaps the most useful basic salad of all. I think plenty of fresh herbs make all the difference and I personally like to make it quite pungent with garlic and onion rings, but leave these out if they’re not to your taste.

SERVES 4

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)

1 lettuce, shredded

other green salad as available (e.g. watercress, sliced chicory, fennel or cucumber, finely shredded baby spinach)

2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh herbs (e.g. flat-leaf parsley, chives or spring onions, mint, tarragon, basil)

First make the dressing by putting the oil and vinegar into the base of a salad bowl and mixing with a little pepper and the garlic (if using).

Add all the other ingredients and mix well, so that everything gets coated with the shiny dressing. Serve immediately.

VARIATION

Green salad with Gruyère cheese

This traditional French salad is a delicious variation on the classic green salad. Simply add 125–175g (4–6oz) diced Gruyère cheese. If you can’t find a vegetarian Gruyère, you could use vegetarian Emmental or even Edam, which are much more widely available.

Haricot bean salad with green herb dressing v

This dish is best made well in advance to allow the flavours time to blend. You can dress the salad while the beans are still hot, leave it to cool, then chill before serving. It makes a good first course or addition to a salad selection, or can be served with hot garlic bread and a green salad or tomato salad.

SERVES 4–6

225g (8oz) dried haricot beans, soaked and cooked or use 2 × 400g cans

1 tsp sugar

5 tsp mustard powder

1 garlic clove, crushed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh herbs (such as chives, parsley, chervil, tarragon and dill)

Drain the beans, rinsing the canned ones (if using).

Put the sugar, mustard and garlic into a bowl with a little salt and a grinding of pepper. Blend to a paste with the vinegar, then gradually stir in the oil to make a dressing.

Add the herbs and the beans and mix well. Allow to cool, then chill in the fridge before serving.

Insalata tricolore

So simple, so good; lovely as a first course or to accompany a simple pasta dish such as spaghetti with pesto. Vegetarian mozzarella is available, but look for one made from cow’s milk rather than the more traditional buffalo’s milk, which usually contains animal rennet.

SERVES 2

2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

1 ball of mozzarella, sliced

2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Arrange the slices of tomato, avocado and mozzarella attractively on a flat plate or two individual plates.

Scatter with the basil leaves, then drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with a little salt and grind over some black pepper. Serve at once.

Puy lentil salad v

Combined with a good fruity olive oil, lemon juice and some crisp onion rings, Puy lentils make a delicious salad. Perfect accompanied by a crisp, herby green salad and a glass of wine on a summer’s day.

SERVES 4

225g (8oz) Puy lentils (or small brown or green lentils)

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 onion

2–3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Soak the lentils in water for a couple of hours or so if possible – this speeds up the cooking process – then drain, rinse, put into a saucepan, cover with fresh water to come 5cm (2in) above the top of the lentils, and simmer them gently until tender but not mushy – about 45 minutes. For flavour and digestibility, it is important to get them (and indeed any pulse) really tender – ‘al dente’ is for pasta, not pulses.

Drain the lentils thoroughly (keep the cooking liquid, it makes good stock) and put them into a bowl with the lemon juice, oil and some salt and pepper.

Peel the onion and cut it into very thin rounds, then add these to the lentils, along with the chopped parsley, and mix everything gently together. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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