With the last of this season’s sprouts, make this delicious roasted garlic and honey dressed slaw. Roast a whole head of garlic for about an hour until the cloves are soft and a medium brown – a longer roast will give the dressing a deeper, more caramel flavour. Once the garlic is ready, the dressing comes together in minutes. It’s wonderfully versatile, great for raw salads or for dressing cooked vegetables, and it keeps well too – make a large batch and store it in the fridge for later.

This salad brings together crunchy veg, a smooth, savoury and sweet dressing with pops of freshness from apple and pomegranate. The honey rounds everything out, softening the garlic’s intensity and bringing the whole dish into balance.

Servings:  4 - 6           Preparation:  20 minutes + 1 hour roasting

Ingredients
1            Head of garlic
1 tbsp    Honey
1            Lemon, juiced
2 tbsp    Olive oil
500g      Brussels sprouts
100g      Young spinach leaves
½            Red onion
100g      Pomegranate seeds
               (about 1 fruit)
1            Eating apple
50g        Pecans, roughly chopped

Tip:  Add an extra tablespoon of wine or cider vinegar for a punchier dressing

Method

1.    Cut the head of garlic in half, then put the halves together and wrap them loosely in foil before roasting in a 180°C fan oven (200°C conventional) for about an hour, until the garlic is soft and browned. 

2.    When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft cloves into a small dish and mash into a smooth paste using the back of a spoon.

4.    Add 1 tablespoon of honey, half of the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper, and mix to make the dressing.

5.    Finely shred the sprouts and slice the onion, placing them together in a large bowl.

6.    Cut the apple into matchsticks and toss the pieces in the remaining lemon juice to stop them browning.

7.    Add around half of the dressing to the shredded sprouts and onion, folding well until everything is coated. 

8.    Gently fold through the spinach leaves, apple and pomegranate seeds, adding more dressing to taste if needed.

9.     Scatter chopped pecans over the top just before serving.