Spring vegetable & cauliflower

• Preparation and cooking time
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
• Plus cooling
• Easy
• Serves 4

Grated cauliflower replaces the grains in this twist on a Middle Eastern salad with parsley, mint, asparagus and courgette

Ingredients

• 1 whole cauliflower (about 500g when trimmed)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 tbsp hot vegetable stock
• 125g pack fine asparagus , stems cut into small pieces, tips left whole
• 1 courgette , cut into small cubes
• Zest 2 lemons , juice of 1
• 2 tbsp capers , drained and chopped
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , plus extra to serve
• 50g parsley , leaves only
• Small pack mint , leaves only
• Bunch spring onions , shredded

Method

STEP 1: Grate the cauliflower on the coarse side of a box grater, stopping only when you get to the very hard central core. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan, add the cauliflower with some seasoning and fry over a medium heat for 3 mins, stirring regularly. Splash in the stock, stir, then cover the pan and cook for 3-4 mins more. Stir once or twice during cooking until the cauliflower is just tender and the stock is absorbed. Spread over a plate and leave to cool. Wipe out the pan.

STEP 2: Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the asparagus stems, courgette and seasoning. Fry over a high heat until turning golden, about 3 mins. Add the asparagus tips, fry for 2 mins more, then leave to cool.

STEP 3: Mix the zest and lemon juice, capers, oil and some seasoning. Chop the herbs fairly finely, then tip into a large bowl with the cauliflower, vegetables and spring onions. When ready to eat, add the dressing and mix well. Mound onto a serving plate, drizzle with a little more oil, then cut the remaining zested lemon into wedges and serve alongside.