This slaw has a juice-based dressing which makes a lighter alternative to a traditional use of mayonnaise and also turns the slaw a beautiful scarlet colour. The salad keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days and is even better for doing so as the flavours get a chance to mingle and develop.

Will you indulge?

Will you indulge?

It's also great with a handful of dried cranberries, chopped nuts and chopped parsley stirred through.

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 3 peppers (red, orange and green)
  • 2 large parsnips
  • 3 small carrots
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 lemon, juice

For the dressing:

  • 1 large beetroot
  • 4-5 clementines or 2 large oranges
  • 1 lemon, zest
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Wash the lemon and peppers, then zest and juice the lemon and set aside.
  2. Peel the parsnips and cut into matchstick or zig zags using a wave knife, then toss with the lemon juice to prevent the parsnip from discolouring.
  3. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and cut into very fine dice.
  4. Peel the onion and cut into wafer-thin slices using a sharp knife, or ideally a mandolin.
  5. Wash and peel the carrots (unless they're organic), and slice into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
  6. Separate the head of broccoli into florets and wash, then cut the florets into very small pieces, or shave them with a sharp knife into a fine rice-like texture. You can reserve the stalk for juicing, or peel and cut into wafer-thin slices to use in the slaw.
  7. Make the dressing by juicing the beetroot and clementines, and combine with the lemon zest and a little seasoning. If you don't want to juice the beetroot, just grate it coarsely and add it to the salad as it is, and the colour will bleed gradually into the other ingredients giving the same effect.
  8. To assemble the salad, gently toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and mix gently again.

Tip: If you keep it for a few days, mix again before serving to combine the juice that will seep from the salad.

Recipe by UK's first Vegetable Butcher Amber Locke

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