Buckwheat with Sundried Tomatoes and fresh Broad Beans

We had forgotten how good natured it was until someone reminded us (thank you Annie!).

Buckwheat has a distinctive nutty flavour which it retains after cooking.

This recipe allows the buckwheat to be used as an accompaniment or as a stand-alone salad the next day.

We took the broad beans out the outer husks because they look so much better and without the outer husks they are easier to digest. You can however leave them whole.

To be honest the recipe took a little longer to cook than planned; not sure why (might be the beans)? So don’t be surprised if it is ready sooner, especially if you are more organised than us!

Prep time: Chopping veg, 10 – 15 minutes. Making the dressing and sorting out the beans can be done whilst the buckwheat is cooking but allow another 10 minutes on top

Cook time: Around 20 minutes max for everything

200 gms Buckwheat

200 gms of Fresh Broad Beans or frozen will do (weight in their husks, not pods*)

2 +1 (3) Red Onions, finely chopped

3 Garlic cloves, crushed

15 Sundried Tomatoes in Oil, chopped

10 Flat Beans, cut across into 1 cm slices

250 ml vegetable stock/bouillon approximately

½ Lemon

Dressing

40 gms Fresh Coriander, whole (it will be liquidised)

1 Lemon, Juiced

1 Clove Garlic

1 teaspoon of Agave Syrup (or runny honey)

2 Tablespoons Walnut (or Extra Virgin Olive) Oil

Seasoning

1. Pour some of the oil from the Sundried Tomatoes in a large open pan and warm.
2. Add 2 of the chopped Red Onions and crushed Garlic, sauté gently for 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add the Buckwheat and stir around in the oil until well coated. Add a little more oil (from the toms) if necessary.
4. After a couple of minutes add the stock, ensuring it covers the buckwheat.
5. Cook for around 10 minutes until all the stock has gone and the buckwheat is soft but not mushy.
6. While the buckwheat is cooking: Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a blender and liquidise. Add more oil if necessary. Season with freshly ground salt and black pepper.
7. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the broad beans and cook on high for 2 minutes.
8. Drain and rinse with cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the husks (see link)
9. Put the remaining veg; tomatoes, red onion and flat beans into a large bowl.
10. When it is ready, add the cooked buckwheat and broad beans.
11. Add 2 – 3 tablespoons of dressing to the warm salad and mix gently so as not to demolish the broad beans.
12. Lastly sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon. Taste and season, if necessary.

Buckwheat is not related to wheat at all, therefore great for those who are gluten or wheat sensitive. It is high in fibre and protein, making it a great food for vegetarians. Although low in vitamins is has a high in mineral content including manganese magnesium and copper. Low in saturated fats, it contains good essential fatty acids. Broad beans; low on the G.I. scale and fat with zero cholesterol. They are high in folate and the minerals iron, magnesium copper and manganese, with decent levels of zinc too. These little powerhouses are worth including in the diet regularly, when in season. Finally the oils from the dressing will give you a daily dose of essential fatty acids. Those watching their weight shouldn’t have a problem with this delicious dish.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com

McCance and Widdowson The composition of Foods (2002)