Raw Salad

After over-indulging, I often crave this salad. All I want is vegetables, something fresh and crispy and full of vitamins. This delivers. It makes a great lunch with a slice of bread, or dinner – in vast amounts – with a tart dressing.

Serves: 2-4 (it makes about 750-900 grams) Prep: 15-20 minutes Cooking: 0 Stores: 2 days

Ingredients

• 1 fennel
• 1 courgette or cucumber
• 1 pepper
• 5-6 leaves of kavolo nero (or kale)
• 4 tomatoes
• 0.5 red onion or 6-7 spring onions
• 1-2 carrots
• Mint, a handful (optional)
• Flat parsley, a handful (optional)
• Coriander, a handful (optional)

Tools

• Salad bowl
• Pairing knife
• Mandolin or sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Two spoons (optional)

Method

1. Use the pairing knife to clean the vegetables.
2. If you have a mandolin, thinly slice or julienne the vegetables and put in the salad bowl. If working with a knife, thinly slice the vegetables.
3. Roughly chop the herbs and add to the vegetables.
4. Toss with your hands or two spoons.

Variations

• Red: swap the carrots for raw beetroot and use a red pepper. Pair with a standard vinaigrette with a little bit of horse radish in it.
• Green: swap the carrot for another couple of peppers and use only green ones. Swap the tomatoes for a good handful of grapes, or –
  even better – a tin of artichoke hearts, chopped into pieces.