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JuicyChef’s Spring Bean Salad with Jerk Croutons & Feta

Recipe sponsored by Loshusan Supermarket. Visit their website to shop for the ingredients.

This vegetarian salad is in the ‘primavera’ style of highlighting the beautiful greens which emerge during the spring months. Succulent beans, tender spinach and mild zucchini team up with croutons to add texture and crunch, but with a little Jamaican Jerk marinade for an unexpected spicy twist and feta for added protein and depth, it’s salty, cooling contrast a perfect compliment. To make it vegan, omit the feta or replace with a vegan substitute cheese. To turn it into a meat lovers delight, grilled chicken would go well with it.

Serves 6

Salad

  • 500g string beans, trimmed
  • 200g zucchini, cut into slices
  • 200g sugar snap peas or snow peas
  • 200g baby spinach
  • 200g feta, cut into cubes
  • 3 escallion stalks, finely sliced plus extra for garnish
  • Basil, handful of leaves, finely sliced, plus extra for garnish

Croutons

  • 1 standard sized baguette, torn into rough chunks
  • 1 tsp mild jerk marinade
  • 3 tbsps olive oil

Dressing

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp mild jerk marinade
  • 2 tbsps white wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Prepare a medium saucepan of boiling water and add a teaspoon of salt. Also prepare a bowl with water and ice cubes, set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400F
  3. In a foil-lined baking tray, add baguette pieces. Mix the jerk marinade and olive oil and then drizzle over the bread, bake until golden brown, remove and cool down.
  4. While the croutons are baking, add the vegetables to the boiling water separately in batches: Boil the string beans for 2 minutes and then the sugar snap peas for 1 minute and then the zucchini for 30 seconds and immediately plunge each batch into the ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and drain on paper towels, set aside.
  5.  Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

On a platter, add the cooled beans and zucchini, baby spinach, feta, escallion and basil. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Top with the extra herbs and croutons then serve at room temperature.