Autumn chestnut salad recipe | Good Food

Autumn chestnut salad

3 slices crusty bread
cut into small cubes
3-4 tbsp olive oil
70g pack lamb's lettuce
175g cooked chestnut
broken into bite-sized pieces
200g cooked beetroot
(not in vinegar), peeled and diced
4-6 slices serrano ham
halved
1 eating apple

For the dressing

1 small red onion
thinly sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp walnut oil

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Toss the bread with the olive oil in a small roasting tin. Season with salt and pepper, spread out over a single layer, then bake for 12-15 mins until the bread is browned and crisp. Tip onto a plate lined with kitchen paper, then leave to cool.
step 2
For the dressing, mix the onion with the vinegar in a small bowl, then leave for 10 mins. Combine the mustard and oil, season with salt and pepper, then whisk until slightly thickened. Stir into the onions, then set aside.
step 3
Tip the lettuce into a large bowl. Add the chestnuts to the bowl with the beetroot. Heat a non-stick pan, add the ham, then fry quickly on each side until crisp. Just before serving, thinly slice the apple, then add to the bowl with the croutons. Add the dressing, then toss everything together until glistening. Pile onto 4 or 6 plates and set 2 pieces of ham on top of each.