Thomasina Miers' Mexican Salad

Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 100g short grain brown rice, cooked
• 1/2 cos lettuce, finely chopped
• 1/4 red cabbage, shredded with a mandolin or a knife, as thinly as possible
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt
• A handful of parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/2 yellow pepper
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• Small handful of coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
• Lime wedge

For the black bean salsa:

• 1 tin of black Beans
• 5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 5-6 jalapeños, chopped finely
• A small handful of coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• Salt

For the coriander chimmichurri:

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 green chili, deseeded
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• A handful of coriander, roughly chopped
• Salt
• Cracked black pepper

Method

1. Start by charring your peppers. Carefully placing your peppers, whole, on an open flame on the hob using tongs. Place the chilli next to them. Watch them, moving them every 30 secs or so until they're nicely charred all over. Remove and place in a bowl to cool.
2. Meanwhile, pickle your red cabbage by placing it in a bowl with the lemon juice and salt. Give it a stir and leave to marinate.
3. Make the black bean salsa by putting all the ingredients in a bowl, mixing together and leaving to marinate as well.
4. To make the coriander chimmichurri, place your charred chilli in a pestle and morter (you may want to deseed it first), with some toasted cumin seeds and half of the coriander. Slowly grind all together to make a paste. Then add this to a high speed blender and pulse until smooth and combined. You may need to add a drizzle more oil or a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
5. When the peppers are cooled, remove their charred skins and chop them vertically into slivers.
6. Make your salad by placing some lettuce on a plate with 100g of brown rice, followed by half the mixed peppers, a couple of tablespoons of the salsa, the pickled red cabbage and then finish with a good dollop of the chimmichurri. Top with some more fresh coriander and toasted seeds, mix and enjoy!

Don't fancy the cooking yourself? This dish is available to taste on our meal plans! Have it crafted in our kitchens and delivered to your door, perfectly portioned and sealed for you to pop in the fridge and take on the go to eat in the sun. Explore our meal plans here. And more on our collaboration with Thomasina here.