Fresh Watercress Pesto Salad with Tenderstem Broccoli
Revamp your lunches with this Fresh Watercress Pesto Salad.
The sun has been shining and Spring has well and truly arrived, the perfect time for this fresh watercress pesto salad!
For this recipe I’ve made a seasonal alternative to the traditional basil-based pesto. Instead I’ve used watercress with a little garlic, lemon and olive oil. Simply whizz it up in the food processor until you have a vibrant green garlicky paste and that’s it! This can be stored in the fridge for a week, you can use it to spoon over new potatoes like I have here or stir through your favourite pasta. It would be a great sandwich filler too with houmous and a few of your favourite veggies.
Roasted new potatoes with a zesty twist
I’ve served this pesto alongside some roasted lemony new potatoes. These are simply halved, par-boiled, tossed in olive oil with a little lemon zest and roasted for 20 minutes until they starting to crispen. I’ve used tenderstem broccoli as the main vegetable but you can use anything such as asparagus, spinach, kale, peas…anything!
To finish the dish off I’ve toasted a handful of flaked almonds and sprinkled them over the top. I love toasted flaked almonds, they’re so quick to prepare yet add so much to the dish with their intense flavour.
For another fresh cooking idea check out these Pizzettes with Microgreens or take a look at my Instagram for other recipes!
Fresh Watercress Pesto Salad with Tenderstem Broccoli
Ingredients
- 80 g Watercress
- Zest & juice from ½ a lemon
- 1 Small garlic clove Minced
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 500 g New potatoes Halved
- 200 g Tenderstem broccoli
- 50 g Flaked almonds
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Par-boil your new potatoes then drain and toss in the lemon zest and 1 tbsp olive oil in a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper then pop in the oven for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and golden around the edges.
- Blend the watercress, lemon juice, garlic and 2 tbsp olive in the food processor. Season with salt and pepper, you might want to add some more lemon juice for an extra zing or olive oil if it’s a little stiff.
- In a small frying pan over a medium heat, toast your flaked almonds, this will only take a couple of minutes before they start to turn brown so keep an eye on them.
- Steam the broccoli then tip your roasted new potatoes onto a large serving dish and place the broccoli over the top. Dress with your watercress pesto and toasted almonds then mix everything together and serve!