Super Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

For the salad

• 28 cherry tomatoes
• 3 florets of broccoli
• 12 green beans, cut into 2 cm lengths
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 2 cm pieces
• 1 lettuce – I like Romaine
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 100 g polenta
• a handful of chopped herbs of your choice
• 250 g tofu, cut into slices
• olive oil for frying

For the dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (if you like a bit of sweetness)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400˚F/gas mark 6 and roast the cherry tomatoes for 10 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a pan with cold water and place a steamer above it. Put the broccoli, green beans and carrots in the steamer, turn the heat on quite high and steam for about 15 minutes, occasionally prodding the carrots with a fork to see if they are done. Some people like them slightly crunchy, others prefer them a little softer.

While the vegetables are steaming, make a salad with the leaves and spring onions.

Combine the polenta and herbs in a bowl. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Dip the tofu in the polenta mixture, then fry until golden.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, but only pour over at the last minute.

Assemble your meal by first putting the salad on the plate, then the warm vegetables and finally the tofu. Pour over the dressing then add a little seasoning sauce such as Braggs or a sauce of your choice.