Chargrilled vegetable salad
Ideally you’ll need a grill pan for this dish, or a George Foreman-style grill.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Olive oil, to brush the griddle pan1 large aubergine, sliced lengthways2 large courgettes, sliced lengthways8 spring onions, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes1 red and 1 yellow pepper, roasted, skinned, deseeded and cut into quarters12 asparagus spears
For the grilled vegetable marinade:
1 shallot, peeled and diced1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced8 basil leaves, torn2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 tbsp sherry vinegar
Method
Set a non-stick ridged griddle pan over a high heat and brush lightly with olive oil
Cook all the vegetables for 2–3 minutes on each side until nicely chargrilled, then remove from the heat
In a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and add the cooked vegetables, gently stirring and coating them in the marinade
Leave, covered, in the fridge to marinate thoroughly - overnight if possible - and serve the next day at room temperature
Don’t worry if making this is a last minute decision and you don’t have time to marinate overnight. Just let the flavours infuse for as long as you can.