Einkorn is chewy and nutty - the texture of it with every mouthful of sweet, soft lemony veg is heaven!
I usually just roast a load of various vegetables and keep them in the fridge to chuck into salads like this throughout the week. I chose pumpkin, beetroot and fennel for this because the sweetness of these root vegetables goes really well with the nutty einkorn. The fennel & lemon dressing adds a deliciously zingy and perfumed note, lifting the salad. I also love the bright colours, and we all need cheering up in the winter months.
Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
- 200g Belvedere Einkorn grain
- 1 head of fennel
- 2 medium beetroot
- 1 small pumpkin or squash
- 1/2 head of radicchio
- 1 lemon
- 1 TBSP fennel seeds, toasted
- 1 ladle of vegetable stock (see note)
- Belvedere raw acacia honey
- Belvedere extra virgin olive oil
Method
First rinse the Einkorn grain under running water, then add to a saucepan and cover generously with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and boil for 30-40 minutes until the grains are soft but retain a little bite. When ready, drain the water and set aside to steam dry.
Cook the root vegetables as you wish. Just chop into delicate wedges, toss in Belvedere EVOO and some salt, and roast at 180C until caramelised and delicious.
Slice the fennel through the root into 8 wedges and toss in salt and EVOO. Pan fry them in a heavy bottomed pan to get a golden colour on them. Once browned nicely add a wedge of lemon and a splash of stock (see note) and let it all sizzle and soften in the steam. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and they are good and soft but retaining some texture. Set aside.
Make the dressing by toasting some fennel seeds in a dry pan until smelling fragrant. Leave to cool whilst slicing the peel off an organic lemon. Slice the peel (remove any pith) into very slender matchsticks and add to a mixing bowl. Squeeze the remaining lemon and add the juice to the mixing bowl along with the toasted fennel seeds and a spoon or two of acacia honey. Taste and add salt if needed. The dressing wants to be nice and tangy with a sweet undertone.
Choose the more central, tender leaves of the radicchio and slice through the stems into elegant shapes.
Construct the salad in a big bowl. Gently toss everything together and dress with the lemon and fennel dressing. Serve as a light lunch, or for something heartier with of a piece of fish or roast chicken.
Note: if you don’t have stock lying around, don’t worry! Just use some water to help soften the fennel. You might want to add an extra pinch of salt.
