Every summer I find a salad that I just obsess over and eat on the regular. Last summer, it was definitely my watermelon salad, and whilst I will most definitely still be making that salad for every single barbecue I'll attend or host, this salad is great as a meal in itself.
Packed with figs and lovely soft burrata, this salad is paired with honey flavoured chickpeas and an easy and quick homemade pesto as a dressing. It's wonderfully simple to make, yet still filling and definitely delicious.
The below recipe will feed 2-3 people as a main, and around 4-6 people as a side.
Ingredients
For the salad
60gr rocket leaves
40gr mixed salad
8 leaves fresh basil
8 leaves fresh mint
4-5 figs
1 ball burrata (or 1 ball fresh mozzarella)
Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
For the pesto dressing
For the chickpeas
Method
1. Making the pesto. Place the nuts in a small pan on medium-low heat and cook until fragrant, tossing regularly. Do not take your eyes off them as they'll burn easily.
2. Place the nuts in a blender along with the basil, spinach, oil, and garlic. Blend until almost smooth. Add in the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and parmesan. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Prepping the chickpeas. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In the same pan used for the nuts, add in a drizzle of oil and the chickpeas. Cook for around 1-2 minutes before adding in the dried mint, dried oregano, sesame seeds and dried basil. Cook for a further 2-5 minutes before adding in the honey. Stir to combine and cook for a further 2 minutes. Do not leave on the hob too long as otherwise the honey will start to caramelise and burn.
4. Assembling the salad. In a large bowl or serving dish, place the rocket leaves and mixed salad. Chop the fresh mint and basil finely, and add in to mix. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice. Cut the stem off the figs and cut in halves and quarters so there's some variation. Toss along with the chickpeas.
5. Right before serving, drain the burrata from the water and rip using your hands. Dollop the pesto on top and eat fresh.
Recreating this recipe? Tag me on instagram @juliawgr!
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