A salad of broccoli, beans, cheese and almonds

Here's a salad that has everything you could possibly need. Bright green broccoli with a bit of bite, crisp broad beans, chunks of creamy yet piquant cheese, plus chopped fresh dill for flavour and toasted flaked almonds for flavour and crunch.

I'd recommend a goats' cheese for this salad - I used a hard goats' cheese from Green's of Glastonbury, which you can buy at Brixton and Herne Hill farmers' markets, among others. It's made in a Cheddar style and is creamy but with a slight sweetness to it as well as that goaty tang.

You can eat the salad warm or at room temperature, and it can be a side dish or main dish as you see fit. If you are making it to eat later. I recommend plunging the broccoli and beans into cold water after cooking, to keep their bright green colour.

Ingredients

Serves 2-4

1 medium head of broccoli, divided into florets
200g/7oz green beans 
100g/3.5oz goats' cheese or feta cheese
A couple of tablespoons flaked almonds
1 tablespoonful fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Method

Boil the broccoli for about six minutes or until al dente. Meanwhile, boil the green beans for about four minutes or until they are cooked but still retain a bit of crunch. (You can steam them over the broccoli if you prefer.) Drain both vegetables well and transfer into a large bowl.

Toast the almonds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes or until they look suntanned. Don't take your eye off them, or they will burn.

The dressing is optional but if you are making it, mix the oil and lemon  juice and pour over the vegetables. Add the dill and mix well. Crumble the cheese over the top and scatter over the almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.