Raspberry Summer Salad

Serves: 4 as a side
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad

• 2 baby gem lettuces

• 1 medium cucumber

• 250–300g ripe tomatoes

• Small handful of fresh raspberries, optional for finishing

• Freshly ground black pepper

For the raspberry vinaigrette

• 20–25 fresh raspberries

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• ½ tsp honey

• Small squeeze of fresh lemon juice

• Good pinch of salt

• Black pepper, optional

Method

1. Make the raspberry vinaigrette

Add the raspberries to a small bowl and mash them well with a fork until juicy and almost completely broken down.

Add the cider vinegar, honey, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then stir everything together.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing comes together.

Taste and adjust if needed — a little more vinegar or lemon for sharpness, honey for sweetness, or olive oil if it needs mellowing out.

2. Prepare the salad

Separate the baby gem leaves and roughly chop any larger pieces.

Slice the cucumber into thin rounds or half-moons, then cut the tomatoes into wedges or chunky pieces.

Add everything to a large serving bowl.

3. Dress and serve

Just before serving, spoon over enough raspberry vinaigrette to lightly coat the salad and toss gently.

You probably won’t need all of the dressing, so add it gradually rather than drowning everything.

Finish with a few fresh raspberries if using and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

For the best result, keep the lettuce and cucumber cold but let the tomatoes sit out for a little while before serving — they’ll taste much better closer to room temperature. Dress the salad right at the end so the baby gem stays crisp.