Our daughter loves roast vegetables, so we often batch-cook trays of them at the end of each week to use up any hardy vegetables we might have left over, and to extend their shelf-life, not least because a container of roast veg in the fridge is a useful tool for speedy midweek meals. One of my favourite ways to use them up is in a simple, wholefood salad. Working through my cupboards, I’ll pick any other ingredients that jump out at me, combine them with a pulse and/or grain and turn them into this nourishing, one-bowl-wonder.
Leftover roast vegetable wholefood salad with green tahini dressing
Whenever we make a roast dinner, we usually cook extra vegetables to make sure we’ve got leftovers to turn into soups, salads or to squish into sandwiches. I recently had some leftover cooked millet in the fridge, so I decided to turn it and the veg into another of our family favourites: a wholefood salad (couscous and quinoa or a jar of legumes are other quick alternatives). Or cook chewy spelt, barley or rye grains in a pressure cooker for a really satisfying meal.
The green tahini sauce will keep in the fridge for up to five days. As well as this salad, it’s delicious in sandwiches, or served with wilted greens or chickpeas straight from the jar or can.
For the salad (per person)
Salt and black pepper
100g cooked whole grains or pulses (millet, spelt, rye, lentils, beans etc)
100g leftover mixed roast vegetables
1 small handful soft herbs (parsley, coriander, mint etc), stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Vinegar (balsamic, red-wine, apple cider), to taste
Optional extras
Nuts, seeds and spices, to taste
For the green tahini dressing (to serve 2)
40g soft herbs (parsley, basil, coriander, mint), including the stalks
45g dark tahini
Juice of ½ lemon
1 small garlic clove, peeled
¼ tsp sea salt
Season the cooked grains or pulses, then spread them evenly over a dinner plate. Top with the roast veg, sprinkle with the chopped herbs, and dress with the olive oil and vinegar, finishing with a sprinkling of nuts, seeds and/or spices, if using. Season to taste and enjoy as is, or add a generous drizzle of green tahini dressing.
Put the soft herbs in a blender with the dark tahini, 40ml water, the lemon juice, garlic and sea salt, then blitz smooth; add a touch more water, if need be, to loosen the mix to a double cream-like consistency.
