Whether you’re looking for a meal on its own or a tasty side dish, this Mushroom, Butter Bean and Cauliflower Pesto Salad recipe is for you.

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

Ingredients for a basil and walnut pesto:

  • 2 cups basil leaves, well packed
  • ¼ cup raw walnuts
  • ½ cup / 40g Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • ¼ cup / 60ml lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup / 60ml olive oil

Other salad ingredients:

  • 500 g cauliflower (about 1 medium sized head), cut into florets
  • 400 g tin butter beans, rinsed and drained
  • 500 g white button mushrooms, halved
  • Handful fresh basil leaves, for serving
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil, for cooking

How To Make Warm Pesto Salad – Method

How to make basil and walnut pesto:

  1. Combine all the pesto ingredients – except for the olive oil – in a food processor.
  2. Season well with salt and pepper.
  3. Blitz until combined and then slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor until everything has a smooth consistency.
  4. Scrape about half a cup of the pesto into a large mixing bowl.
  5. Keep the remaining pesto in a jar in the fridge and use for other dishes like smashed avo toast or pesto scrambled eggs.

How to make the rest of the warm pesto salad:

  1. Bring a pot of water to the boil.
  2. Blanch the cauliflower in boiling water for about 2 minutes, depending on the size of the florets. You want them to retain a nice firm texture and not be mushy.
  3. Remove the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and add directly to the large mixing bowl of pesto.
  4. Add the butter beans and mix to combine.
  5. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan.
  6. Cook the white button mushrooms on high heat until golden brown and just tender. Season well.
  7. Add to the mixing bowl of veg and toss everything until well coated in the pesto.
  8. Plate the warm pesto salad and then shower it with basil leaves.
  9. Serve with chunky lemon wedges on the side and enjoy!

Mushroom, Butter Bean, And Cauliflower Pesto Salad Recipe Notes

This Mushroom, Butter Bean, And Cauliflower Pesto Salad recipe is courtesy of the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association (SAMFA), a group of farmers who grow and love mushrooms.

They share their passion by promoting all varieties of mushrooms, creating unique recipes that showcase the many flavour profiles of mushrooms, and engaging in charity campaigns that make the world a better place.

Why mushrooms?

These powerful little foods are packed with nutrients and fibres, have very few calories, and are an excellent source of plant protein. If spiced right, they even make a great meat replacement!

You can check out SAMFA’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for all their latest updates.

We’ve shared dozens of SAMFA recipes, which you can access in our full Recipes Archive. You may just find your next delicious meal there!

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