Henry & Ian's Winter Roots Salad

Henry & Ian’s Winter Roots Salad

Henry Firth & Ian Theasby (Bosh!)

Featuring:

Carrots

Kale

Parsnips

Effort:

Complexity:

Cost:

Serves: 2

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

150g baby carrots

150g baby parsnips

3–4 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1 medium baguette (about 150g)

2 red onions

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp caraway seeds

100g kale

1 lemon

large handful of fresh mint leaves

bunch of flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp dried cranberries or raisins

salt and black pepper

For the dressing:

½ lemon

3 tbsp dairy-free creme fraiche (or regular creme fraiche if not vegan)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp maple syrup

salt and black pepper

Veg Portions / Serving: 2

Speedy BOSH! by Henry Firth & Ian Theasby is out 17th September (HQ, HarperCollins). / Food photography credit: Lizzie Mayson / Headshot credit: Nicky Johnston.

In winter, salads can sometimes get overlooked in favour of hotter, cosier dishes. But roasted root veg can be used in salads, too, as this dish demonstrates. Speedily roasted baby carrots and parsnips, deliciously toasted garlic bread and sweet little cranberries are tossed in a delightfully simple dressing. This is definitely one of our simpler dishes – one for people who like clean, light flavours. A lovely thing to eat on a fresh winter’s day.

Method:

Start with the root veg • Peel and chop the carrots and parsnips into batons, if necessary • Add to the pan of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.

Prepare the croutons • Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into one of the roasting tins • Crush the garlic cloves with the back of a knife and add them to the tin • Tear the baguette into croutons and toss them straight into the tin • Coat the bread with the garlic oil • Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper • Slide the tin onto the middle shelf of the oven and roast for 15–20 minutes, until crisp.

Return to the veg • Drain the carrots and parsnips and tip them into the second roasting tin • Peel the red onions, cut them into wedges and add them to the tray • Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and scatter with the cumin and caraway seeds • Put the roasting tin on the top shelf of the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Prepare the kale • Tip the kale into a colander and pour over boiling water to shock and soften it slightly • Drain then tip into a large bowl • Halve the lemon and squeeze over the juice • Massage the kale with your hands for 3–5 minutes, until softened • Pick the leaves from the herbs and roughly chop them.

Make the dressing • Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl • Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine • Season to taste.

Make the salad • Remove both tins from the oven • Tip the croutons into the tin with the roasted vegetables • Toss well • Add the herbs, kale and cranberries or raisins and toss again • Drizzle generously with the dressing and serve warm.

Engaging Kids

Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.

Kids in the kitchen

Have kids tear the baguette and toss it in oil. Let them massage the kale, make the dressing and combine the salad.

Activities

While getting kids to interact with veggies for real and using their senses to explore them is best, encouraging hands off activities like arts & crafts, puzzles & games or at-home science experiments can be a great start, particularly for those who are fussier eaters or struggle with anything too sensory. Use these veg-themed activities as a stepping stone to interacting with the veg themselves. We have loads of crafty downloads here, puzzles here, and quirky science with veg here.

Sensory

Once you feel your child is ready to engage a little more, you can show them how to explore the veg you have on hand with their senses, coming up with playful silly descriptions of how a veg smells, feels, looks, sounds and perhaps even tastes. Find ideas, videos and some simple sensory education session ideas to get you started here.

Serving

The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it! Giving children a sense of ownership in the meal can make a big difference to their feelings going into it and the pride they take in it. You know your child best, but if you aren’t sure where to start, we have some fun and simple ideas for easy roles you can give them in the serving process over here.