Summer’s here and all you’re doing is basking by a pool with a glass of champagne to hand, or more realistically squeezed into a small patch of green in one of London’s bustling parks…in either case, enjoying the sun.

It’s perfect weather for a BBQ, but sometimes you’re not in the mood for entertaining and a quiet meal for one (or two) is all that’s needed. This is where our Simple Summer Salad comes into it’s own: it can be tossed together in minutes; works well as a lunch or dinner and is sufficiently light to be enjoyed in the sun.

This salad is delicious served with a few sliced of baguette and a chilled glass of your favourite white wine.

Preparation time: 5 – 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
• 1 can of chickpeas – drained and rinsed
• 100g chorizo sausage
• ½ red pepper
• ¼ cucumber
• a handful of fresh mint leaves
• a handful of fresh parsley
• a handful of fresh coriander
• ½ red onion
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ shots of sherry

Recipe:

1. Finely slice the red onion into half moons and add to a small mixing bowl. Add the lemon (zest and juice), red wine vinegar and olive oil; mix together and then set aside – this is your dressing done.
2. Chop the chorizo into discs about ½ cm thick, then each disc into quarters. Tip into a non-stick frying pan and put over a medium heat for a minute or two until the chorizo’s delicious oils have started to seep out and the sausage has just started to crisp at the edges. Tip in the sherry and the chickpeas and leave on the heat for another couple of minutes until everything is warmed through and the alcohol has evaporated from the sherry.
3. Prepare the final salad ingredients by finely slicing the red pepper and cutting the cucumber into ½ cm cubes. Finely chop the mint, parsley and coriander. If you have a sous-chef to hand (a flatmate, partner, parent or visiting friend would be perfect) it speeds up the chopping.
4. Tip all the salad ingredients into a mixing bowl, then pour over the dressing and toss together until everything is coated and mixed.
5. Serve with crusty, fresh bread and a glass of wine and your summer lunch (or dinner) is sorted.