As the chill of winter settles in and you start reaching for comforting meals, it’s easy to lean into rich and heavy dishes. But sometimes, what your body really craves is something that’s warm and light nourishing without being overbearing. That’s where this Mushroom, Butter Bean & Cauliflower Warm Pesto Salad comes in.
This salad is everything you want in a winter dish: hearty mushrooms, creamy butter beans, and the earthiness of cauliflower, all tossed in a fresh and zesty basil & walnut pesto. It’s a dish that feels both satisfying and vibrant, a rare winter find!
The real magic is in the pesto. With lemon zest, garlic, and a generous handful of basil, it cuts through the richness of the beans and mushrooms, lifting the whole dish to something truly special. And it’s not just for this salad , keep the extra pesto for your toast, eggs, or even pasta. Trust us, you’ll want it on everything.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Basil & 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
- 500g cauliflower (about 1 medium sized head), cut into florets
- 400g tin butter beans, rinsed and drained
- 500g white button mushrooms, halved
- Handful fresh basil leaves, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for cooking
Method:
- For the pesto:
- Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor, except for the olive oil.
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- Blitz until combined and then slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor until everything is a smooth consistency.
- Scrape about half a cup of the pesto into a large mixing bowl.
- Keep the remaining pesto in a jar in the fridge and use for other dishes like smashed avo toast or pesto scrambled eggs.
- Bring a pot of water to the boil.
- Blanch the cauliflower in boiling water for about 2 minutes, depending on the size of the florets. You want it to retain a nice firm texture and not be mushy.
- Remove the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and add directly to the large mixing bowl of pesto.
- Add the butter beans and mix to combine.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Cook the white buttons on high heat until golden brown and just tender. Season.
- Add to the mixing bowl of veg and toss them until well coated in the pesto.
- Plate the warm pesto salad and then shower it with basil leaves.
- Serve with chunky lemon wedges on the side and enjoy!
