Courgette and lettuce salad with toasted seeds and tahini dressing
salad
Prep 15 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 4
Ingredients
2–3 aubergines, cut into 1cm-thick rounds
2–3 courgettes, cut into 1cm-thick rounds
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
2 garlic cloves, bashed
2 small cos or little gem lettuces
for the toasted seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp caster sugar
a good pinch of salt
for the dressing
2 tbsp tahini
½ garlic clove, crushed or grated
juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tsp runny honey
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the aubergines and courgettes in a bowl and trickle over the olive oil. Season well and add the bashed garlic. Toss to coat, then lay out the vegetable slices over a large baking tray (or two trays, if necessary) in a single layer.
- Roast for 35 minutes, turning once halfway, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to crisp around the edges. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little.
- Meanwhile, make the toasted seeds. Put a small frying pan on a medium heat, add the seeds, oil, sugar and salt and cook for two to three minutes, tossing everything together as the seeds toast, until they are fragrant and beginning to pop. Set aside to cool.
- Now make the dressing. Put the tahini in a small bowl with the garlic, lemon juice and zest, yoghurt, honey and oil. Whisk with a fork until thick and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add a dash of cold water to loosen it.
- Finish the salad. Cut the base from each lettuce and set aside any damaged outer leaves for the compost. Separate the remaining leaves, wash them and spin dry. Arrange the leaves over a large platter, top with the roasted aubergines and courgettes, then spoon over the dressing and finish with a scattering of the toasted seeds.