Buffalo Mozzarella, Broad Bean & Pea Salad with Lemon & Mint

Check out this fresh and light summer salad I made last night. I was inspired to make it after seeing broad beans at a few farmer’s markets in London last weekend. I’ve never cooked with broad beans before, so I was exciting to give it a shot. I have to warn you though, the cooking and pod-removing process can get a bit tedious, but result is worth it in the end. I learned that broad beans have a very short season, so I recommend picking up some soon! I also used fresh peas in the salad, which are much more tasty than frozen or canned. The salad gets a bit of zing from a generous amount of lemon and fresh mint. The creamy buffalo mozzarella is the perfect complement to the beans and peas. In the end, the color and flavors scream summer. Enjoy!

Buffalo Mozzarella, Broad Bean & Pea Salad with Lemon & Mint

Recipe adapted from Robert Thompson

Ingredients
200g of fresh peas, podded weight
200g of broad bean pods
4 medium sized fresh buffalo mozzarella balls
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, coarsely chopped
2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges
Freshly ground pepper and salt
Extra virgin olive oil

{ Broad beans }

{ Fresh peas }

{ Lemons and mint }

Directions
First, cook the beans. In a large pot of boiling water, cook broad beans pods for 1 minute. Then, add fresh peas (still in their pods) and cook for an additional minute. Immediately put all of the beans into an ice bath for 5 minutes.

Next, pop all of the broad beans out of their pods. Make sure to delicately remove the white skin on each bean. Then, remove all of the peas from their pods.

Combine all of the beans, peas and mint in a medium sized bowl. Add the juice of 1 lemon along with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Separately, prepare the mozzarella balls by tearing them in half and seasoning lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Plate the salads by placing a few spoonfuls of beans and peas on each plate. Then, place mozzarella on top along with more beans and peas on top and on the sides. Drizzle everything lightly with olive oil and some more fresh lemon juice. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Buffalo Mozzarella, Broad Bean & Pea Salad with Lemon & Mint

 

Author:

Janelle

Recipe type: Appetiser

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Ingredients

• 200g of fresh peas, podded weight
• 200g of broad bean pods
• 4 medium sized fresh buffalo mozzarella balls
• 2 tablespoons of fresh mint, coarsely chopped
• 2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges
• Freshly ground pepper and salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. First, cook the beans. In a large pot of boiling water, cook broad beans pods for 1 minute. Then, add fresh peas (still in their pods) and cook for an additional minute. Immediately put all of the beans into an ice bath for 5 minutes.
2. Next, pop all of the broad beans out of their pods. Make sure to delicately remove the white skin on each bean. Then, remove all of the peas from their pods.
3. Combine all of the beans, peas and mint in a medium sized bowl. Add the juice of 1 lemon along with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Separately, prepare the mozzarella balls by tearing them in half and seasoning lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Plate the salads by placing a few spoonfuls of beans and peas on each plate. Then, place mozzarella on top along with more beans and peas on top and on the sides. Drizzle everything lightly with olive oil and some more fresh lemon juice. Garnish with lemon wedges.

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