Aubergine, courgette salad with mint and tahini dressing
This is a perfect salad for a summer lunch, especially if the weather is warm and you can sit outside in the sun. I like to roast the aubergines and courgettes until they start to crisp a little around their edges. This gives them a slight bitterness, which I find exceptionally delicious alongside the honey and tahini in the dressing that is spooned over the vegetables once they’re cooked.
Find more recipes by Gill Meller from 'Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower'
Serves 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the toasted seeds
For the dressing
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/mark 4. Place the aubergines and courgettes in a bowl and trickle over the olive oil. Season well and add the bashed garlic. Toss the whole lot together, then lay the vegetable slices out over a large baking tray (or two trays, if necessary) in a single layer. Cook for 35 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to crisp around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.
Step 2
Meanwhile, make the toasted seeds. Place a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add all the seeds, oil, sugar and a good pinch of sea salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing everything together as the seeds toast, until they are fragrant and beginning to pop. Then set aside to cool.
Step 3
To make the dressing, put the tahini in a small bowl with the garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest, yogurt, honey and oil. Whisk with a fork until thick and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add a little dash of cold water to loosen.
Step 4
Cut the base from each lettuce and discard any damaged outer leaves. Separate out the leaves, wash them and spin dry. Arrange them over a large platter, then top with the roasted aubergines and courgettes. Spoon over the dressing and finish with a scattering of the toasted seeds before serving.
