Beef, blueberry and feta salad

Prep: 20 mins

Combining beef and blueberries in a salad might sound unusual, but they make a surprisingly happy couple. The vinegar in the dressing cuts through the sweetness of the fruit, while the distinctive taste of feta pulls everything together. Try to source good-quality beef slices that are nice and pink – the meat in the photo is spiced beef. Speaking of happy couples, this is a great starter for a romantic meal or dinner party – just increase the quantities if you’ve got guests. If not eating straight away, keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.

125g blueberries

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 x 215g can chickpeas

75g mixed salad leaves

Small handful of fresh mint leaves

25g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

125g cooked beef slices

100g feta cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Essential kit:

Mini-blender

Place half the blueberries in a mini-blender with the oil, redcurrant jelly and vinegar. Blitz until as smooth as possible.

Season to taste.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a large bowl with the remaining blueberries, the salad leaves, mint and hazelnuts.

Chop or tear the beef into bite-sized pieces if necessary and add to the bowl. Give everything a good toss.

Divide between serving plates or bowls and crumble the feta cheese on top. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Serves
2

Preparation Time
20 minutes

Main ingredients
Fruit, Beef, Cheese, Nuts

Recipe Type
Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Lunch Box, Salads

Special Info
Gluten free

Level of Difficulty
Easy

Recipes extracted from The No-Cook Cookbook by Sharon Hearne-Smith (Quercus); images are © Cristian Barnett. The cookbook will be available in stores from Thursday, 2nd June 2016.