Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 12–16 asparagus spears
- 500g (1lb 2oz) broad beans, podded
- 150g (5½oz) quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
- 300g (10½oz) peas, podded, or frozen
- 6–8 spring onions, trimmed and sliced into 1cm (½in) pieces
- 1 small handful of chives, finely chopped, plus chive flowers to serve
- 1 small handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus a few left whole
- 1 small handful of mint leaves, finely sliced, plus a few left whole
- 1 handful of lovage, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus a few left whole
- A few picked fennel tops, if available
- A squeeze of lemon
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp unrefined caster sugar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Start by whisking or shaking together all the ingredients for the dressing, until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Snap the woody base from each asparagus spear, then cut the stems into 3cm (11⁄4in) pieces, the tip being one piece.
If the broad beans are overly big, it’s worth blanching them and peeling away their leathery skins. If they are young and sweet, you won’t need to do this.
Put the rinsed quinoa in a pan and cover with plenty of cold water – about three times as much water as quinoa. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, until the grains are tender. Drain well and return to the pan.
Add the asparagus, broad beans, peas and spring onions to the hot quinoa and pour over the dressing. Stir everything together carefully, then allow to cool to room temperature, stirring once or twice as it cools. Fold the herbs into the salad and add a squeeze of lemon and plenty of salt and pepper to taste.
Tumble the salad out onto a platter or divide between individual plates. Scatter over a few tender herb leaves and chive flowers, if you have them, and serve.
