Pantry raid chopped salad with cheat’s stracciatella

Name: Pantry raid chopped salad with cheat’s stracciatella
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 125g ball mozzarella, drained; 4 tbsp double cream; salt; 1½ tbsp crispy chilli oil; 2 tbsp pesto; 2 tbsp mayonnaise; 1 lemon, juice only; 250g pouch microwaveable grains; 400g tin kidney, black or aduki beans, drained and rinsed; 1 courgette, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces; ½ cucumber, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces; 1–2 apples, mangoes or peaches, flesh chopped into 1cm/½in pieces; 1 Little Gem lettuce, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces; 2 celery sticks, finely sliced; 5 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced; 2 large handfuls soft herbs, such as fresh flatleaf parsley, coriander or mint, chopped; salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare: less than 30 mins
Cook: less than 10 mins
Serve: Serves 2
Dietary: Pregnancy-friendly Vegetarian

I make a version of this at least once a week, especially on nights when I feel like I need to nourish myself with plenty of goodness. The best bit is that most of it is interchangeable. No beans? Swap to chickpeas. No courgette? Use a carrot. Feel free to make it your own!

Each serving provides 1225 kcal, 52.1g protein, 101.1g carbohydrate (of which 12.9g sugars), 61.3g fat (of which 21.1g saturates), 28.9g fibre and 1.16g salt.

By Craig Morrison

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Ingredients

For the cheat’s stracciatella

125g ball mozzarella, drained
4 tbsp double cream
salt

For the dressing

1½ tbsp crispy chilli oil
2 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 lemon, juice only

For the salad

250g pouch microwaveable grains
400g tin kidney, black or aduki beans, drained and rinsed
1 courgette, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces
½ cucumber, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces
1–2 apples, mangoes or peaches, flesh chopped into 1cm/½in pieces
1 Little Gem lettuce, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
5 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
2 large handfuls soft herbs, such as fresh flatleaf parsley, coriander or mint, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipe tips

Method

To make the cheat’s stracciatella, tear the mozzarella ball into small pieces. Add to a bowl with the cream and a small pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Set aside for 10–15 minutes.
To make the dressing, mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add a little splash of water if the dressing is too thick. Set aside.
To make the salad, microwave the grains according to packet instructions and leave to cool slightly.
Add all of the salad ingredients to the bowl of dressing and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine.
To serve, divide the salad between two bowls and dollop over the cheat’s stracciatella.