Portobello, Broccoli, Chickpea and Grain Salad with Fresh Lemon Basil Dressing
Juicy portobellos rest on top of a savory salad of roasted broccoli, chickpeas, grains and tart apple tossed in a fresh lemon and basil dressing. The components for the salad are easy to prep ahead of time so this dish comes together in a snap.
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Portobellos:
- 4 portobellos, cleaned and stems removed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
For the Lemon Basil Dressing:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (about 40-50g)
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp prepared mustard (or Dijon)
- ½ tsp salt
For the Salad:
- 2 ½ cups grain of choice* , cooked and cooled to room temperature or chilled
- 1 head broccoli, cut into very small florets
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chickpeas, cooked
- ½ shallot, diced small
- 1 green apple, diced
Instructions
For the Portobellos:
- Place the portobellos gill side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix the marinade together in a small bowl. Spoon marinade equally over each mushroom. Let marinate for 30 minutes. If you don't have your grains cooked, now's the time to do it according to package directions. At the 15 minute mark for the marinating, preheat the oven to 400°F. In the meantime, prep the broccoli as per instructions below.
- Bake the portobellos for 15 minutes, then turn them over, brushing the tops with the marinade that has spilled out. Word of caution: have your stove exhaust fan on as things can get a bit smoky from the spilled marinade baking off. If you'd like to avoid this, you could carefully pour the marinade from each mushroom into a small dish before flipping. You could use a big serving spoon to cup the mushroom in one hand and pierce it with a fork in the other hand to keep the mushroom stable when pouring. Roast another 15 minutes. At this time, the broccoli can go into the oven, but place it on a rack above the mushrooms so the broccoli gets a bit charred. While the veggies are roasting, prep the dressing and salad.
For the Lemon Basil Dressing:
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate.
For the Salad:
- Fluff the prepared grains with a fork and place in a large bowl.
- Toss the broccoli florets with the olive oil and spread out evenly on a baking sheet, baking for 15 minutes, tossing once during roasting. Let cool for 5 minutes then place in bowl with the grains. Add in the shallot and chickpeas.
To Assemble the Salad:
- When ready to serve, toss the grain and broccoli mixture with the apples. Add 1/3 cup dressing, toss, taste and adding more to suit your taste. Plate the grain and broccoli mixture, then slice the portobellos into 5 or 6 even slices, placing over the salad. Enjoy!
Notes:
*the salad pictured had a pre-mixed blend of sprouted wild rice and quinoa which gave the salad a nice texture but if you don't have this mix on hand, you could use a different whole grain of your choice such as brown rice, all quinoa or barley.
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