Avocado, Pesto & Watercress Salad
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Total: 30 mins
This substantial salad is full of fresh flavour, tossing tender courgette ribbons and cubes of creamy avocado, with watercress and mint, and folding through sweet sun dried tomatoes and lemony, vegan pesto-dressed pasta for a bit of bite.
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551 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 75g gnochetti
  • 1 avocado
  • 60g vegan basil tofu pesto
  • 1 red onion
  • 50g watercress
  • 35g sun dried tomatoes
  • 1 lemon
  • A handful of mint, leaves only
  • 1 courgette
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Fill and boil the kettle. Thinly slice the sun dried tomatoes and pop them in a small pan. Add the gnocchetti and cover with boiling water. Simmer for 10 mins till the pasta is soft with a little bite. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water and set aside.

  • 2.

    While the pasta is cooking, zest and juice half the lemon into a large bowl. Add a good pinch of salt. Peel and thinly slice the red onion and add to the bowl. Scrunch together then leave to marinate.

  • 3.

    Using a vegetable peeler, shave the courgette into thin ribbons, turning it as you go. When you get to the middle, stop peeling and finely chop it. Add to the onion, but don't mix in just yet.

  • 4.

    Finely chop the mint leaves. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon half into a small bowl and add the pesto. Mix together then stir through the cooked and drained pasta.

  • 5.

    Halve the avocado and scoop out and discard the stone. Slice the soft flesh into small chunks.

  • 6.

    Add the watercress to the bowl with the courgette ribbons and onion. Mix, then fold through the pesto-dressed pasta and the avocado chunks. Divide the salad between a couple of plates and garnish with the mint to serve.