Ultimate Summer BOSH! Bowl

Ultimate Summer BOSH! Bowl

This is the bowl we keep coming back to all summer long. There's something about roasted Mediterranean veg, fresh herbs and that lemony dressing that just tastes like being on holiday, even if you're eating it in your kitchen on a Tuesday. The fennel goes sweet and caramelised in the oven, the cherry tomatoes burst into something almost jammy, and the rocket adds this lovely peppery freshness that cuts right through it all. We've served this at pretty much every summer gathering we've hosted and people always ask for the recipe. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment
  • Microplane or fine grater (for zesting lemon)
  • Small pan for broad beans
  • Bowl of cold water (for cooling broad beans)
  • Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 100g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic clove
  • 100g fresh or frozen broad beans
  • 10g thyme
  • 10g dill
  • 10g mint
  • 100g rocket
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 100g orzo
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • chilli flakes to taste

Method

1

Grab your red pepper 

  • Remove the white pith from the red bell pepper and chop it into bite size chunks
  • Chop the fennel into bite sized chunks, remove the fonds and set them aside for garnish
  • Cut the cherry tomatoes
  • Pick and roughly chop the thyme, dill and mint
  • Wash and dry the rocket
  • Zest and juice the lemon
2

Bake the veggies

  • Next put the peppers, fennel, cherry tomatoes and unpeeled garlic on a lined baking tray
  • Drizzle with 1 tsp of oil and a pinch of salt as well as some red chilli flakes and mix well
  • Bake for 20 minutes at 200℃, then remove from oven and set aside
3

Prepare the broad beans and orzo pasta

  • Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the broad beans and cook for approximately 2 minutes, place in bowl of cold water and allow to cool completely
  • Pop the tender, bright green beans out of their thick leather skins by squeezing gently. If you're using frozen broad beans, you can skip this step.
  • Cook your orzo as per the packet instructions and allow to cool completel
4

Make the dressing

  • Combine the lemon juice, zest, extra virgin olive oil and herbs
  • Squeeze the garlic clove out of the skin and add this to the dressing ingredients
  • Mix well to combine
5

Assemble the salad and serve

  • Combine the roasted vegetables, broad beans, rocket and orzo in a large bowl
  • Toss through the dressing
  • Season to taste and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Don't skip the fennel fronds: We know it's tempting to throw them away but trust us, they're the secret garnish that makes this bowl look and taste restaurant-quality. Scatter them on right at the end.
  • Add some protein: This works brilliantly with a tin of drained chickpeas tossed in with the roasting veg. Ian does this every time and it turns it from a side into a proper main.
  • Make it ahead: You can roast the veg a couple of hours in advance and let it sit at room temperature. Actually the flavours get even better as they settle, just add the rocket and dressing right before serving so it stays fresh.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting the garlic unpeeled. It steams inside the skin and turns into this sweet, soft, almost buttery paste that you can squeeze straight into the dressing. It completely transforms the flavour. The other thing is setting those fennel fronds aside and using them as garnish at the end, they add a fresh anise hit that makes the whole bowl feel really alive.