River Cottage

This salad from Hugh is packed full of fresh ingredients and well seasoned with lemon and mint

Serves 4

• 200g pearled spelt, rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• Few parsley stalks
• 200g ratte potatoes
• Sprig of fresh mint
• 300g baby carrots
• 125g baby broad beans, podded weight
• 75g fresh peas, podded weight
• 10 spring onions, trimmed
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil

To dress the salad

• Rapeseed oil
• Squeeze of lemon
• Few mint leaves, roughly ribboned
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the spelt in boiling water with a couple of bay leaves and the parsley stalks for about 20 minutes or until cooked but still with some bite. Drain and leave to cool.

2. Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water with a sprig of mint. After a few minutes add the carrots, when almost done add the beans and peas and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and leave to cool slightly.

3. Sweat the spring onions in sunflower oil until soft.

4. Put the spelt into a large bowl along with the carrots, peas and beans, thickly slice the potatoes and add to the bowl.

5. Dress with the oil and lemon juice, and finish with the chopped mint and some salt and pepper. Scatter over the soft spring onions and serve.