Broad Bean Salad with Elderflower & Ginger Dressing

One of the things I love the most about blogging is the how flexible you can be. So for those of you who have bought Prepped, new linked recipes on the blog here keep the book alive and adds an extra dimension .... .so I shall keep adding new recipes each week .. keep an eye out and please do join in Club Prepped..it's so good to share!

This week using the Elderflower and Rose syrup as the linked recipe I have combined the elderflower syrup with ginger & lime giving this dressing zing.

Back in the days when I was a chef ( .. oh it seems such a long time ago now!) the definition of salad was an iceberg lettuce with cucumber slices and the odd quarter of tomato. Thank goodness things have changed! Think fresh, think zesty, warm, bacon, chorizo, colourful, tasty zingy, and crunch. It really is time to rethink salad, as you know it. Chorizo ginger lime and elderflower salad dressing over a Spanish style pea and bean salad. It is quick. It’s easy and it’s tasty. You can eat this hot or cold and it makes a cracking packed lunch. If you haven’t had the chance to make your cordial yet then there is still time .. just .. but if not then you can buy elderflower syrup. Look for a good quality syrup, with no added preservatives or additives that is floral and not too sweet such as Belvoir Fruit farms cordial - it’s lovely and floral whilst still retailing a good acid balance needed for a salad dressing and it’s made in not far away from me in Northamptonshire .. in Grantham (available in most supermarkets.)

Makes Salad for 4 -6

Preparation 15 minutes

Freeze No

Keeps up to 3 days covered in the fridge

Salad

1 onion finely sliced

300g chorizo

300g peas (frozen are fine)

250g board beans

Dressing

3 tablespoons elderflower syrup

2 inches of ginger root

zest and juice of 1 lime

Basil to dress

1) Place the Chorizo and onion into a frying pan and gently sauté. You don’t need any oil - there should be enough fat in the chorizo. When the onion is soft and slightly caramelised add in the peas and board beans. Keep on a low heat and stir.

2) The beans and peas take 8 – 10 minutes to cook. Once the heat has worked it’s way through them add in 2 or 3 tablespoons of water and keep stirring. If it catches add another tablespoon of water.

3)Once the peas and beans are cooked grate a about a 2 inch piece of ginger and squeeze out the juice. – there should be about 3 tablespoons. Mix this with the elderflower syrup and the lime zest and juice and pour into the saucepan. Mix well.

4) Serve either hot or cold. Scatter torn basil leaves before you serve.

(Photo's courtesy of Northampton Chronicle & Echo)