Beetroot & Cauliflower Kale Salad with Pesto Dressing [vegan] [gluten free]

Bursting with wonderful flavours, this Beetroot & Cauliflower Kale Salad with Pesto Dressing is the perfect antidote to the grey weather. The seasonal Winter vegetables are tossed in a delicious pesto dressing made with SACLA’ Free From Basil Pesto and topped with crunchy almonds, juicy pomegranate and sweet raisins. So good!

It was only when we lived in Holland that I realised that there was more to pesto than pasta. Our local restaurant in The Hague served it with chicken and omelette. What a revelation! So I started experimenting by adding it to fish, meat, eggs and vegetables.

Since having kids, pesto has become even more of a staple food for us. They love it and so do their friends. It is perfect for playdates or busy week days when I need to prepare food in a hurry.

Pesto is so versatile you can add it to pretty much anything from bread, pastry, pizza, sandwiches, pasta, rice, savoury muffins, quiches, beans and pulses. It seems you cannot go wrong. One of my favourites is to toss it as salad dressing with mushrooms, potatoes, courgettes, aubergines etc..

If you are vegetarian or vegan, classic pesto is unfortunately off limits as it contains (non vegetarian) cheese and eggs. Fortunately SACLA’ has released two Free From vegan pestos: No 9 Basil Pesto and No 10 Tomato Pesto. They are also gluten free and wheat free.

SACLA’ has replaced the cheese with tofu so this pesto has the texture and taste of regular pesto.

SACLA’ Free From Basil Pesto is very similar in texture to classic pesto. It does taste slightly different as it is not as sharp or cheesy. Once mixed in with other foods you can notice less of a difference though. At 1.2g per 100g, SACLA’ Free From Basil Pesto also has half the amount of salt as the regular SACLA’ Basil Pesto.

SACLA’ Free From Tomato Pesto has also a milder taste than than SACLA’ Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto. While it is not quite as sharp, as with SACLA’ Free From Basil Pesto, you hardly notice the difference when you add it to food. The salt content is similar to Free From Basil Pesto.

They are many ways to enjoy these two vegan pestos with your favourite plant-based food. Let your imagination guide you and add them to stuffed vegetables, vegan burgers, vegan cheese sandwiches, tofu scramble etc.. or simply as a salad dressing like in the recipe below.

SACLA’ Free From Basil Pesto and SACLA’ Free From Tomato Pesto are available from the Free From aisle at most supermarkets or visit www.sacla-shop.co.uk

This recipe was commissioned by SACLA’