Komatsuna with broad beans and avocado mayo
Komatsuna (also called Japanese mustard spinach) is normally associated with Asian dishes, but here we’ve given it a Western twist to show its versatility. To complement the slightly spicy flavour of the leaves, we’ve paired them with a mix of broad beans and avocado mayonnaise with lemon and mint. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of dukkah or any other nuts to add a bit of crunch, and serve as a starter or a side.
Ingredients
For the veg:
- 250g broad beans, podded
- 250g komatsuna, washed and base trimmed
For the avocado mayonnaise:
- 1 avocado
- 5g mint leaves
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp water
- salt & pepper
To garnish:
- dukkah or nuts/seeds of choice
Method
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Step 1
Fill a small saucepan with boiling water. Add the broad beans and simmer for 4 minutes. Tip into a colander, refresh under cold water, and drain. Individually peel the outer skins off the beans (this is called double podding) and keep the beans aside for later.
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Step 2
Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone; use a spoon to scrape out the flesh into a blender jar. Add the rest of the mayonnaise ingredients and blitz. Taste and adjust the flavour or texture by adding more seasoning, lemon juice or water.
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Step 3
Roughly chop the broad beans and gently mix though the mayonnaise. Set aside.
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Step 4
Bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Add the komatsuna and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the leaves are wilted but the stalks retain a little crunch. Transfer to colander, rinse well and let it cool for a few minutes.
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Step 5
Arrange the komatsuna on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Dollop the avocado mix on top and garnish with dukkah and flaky salt.