High Protein Leek & Rocket Salad with Smoked Salmon and Egg

This is an amazing salad, a perfect meal on its own. High in protein and god fats with health giving green vegetables mixed through, that adds the flavor and texture to the dish. 

You can add 1-2 boiled potatoes to the salad to make it more filling, by scattering them between the other ingredients. But if you are on carbohydrate, or starch restrictive diet, use asparagus or broccoli instead.

Leeks are widely known vegetables that have been used worldwide for hundreds of years. Their incredible properties make them a preferred ingredient for chefs and anybody trying to stick to a healthy diet. 

This health giving food in fact contains high levels of flavonoids, vitamins A, E, and K, folate, fiber and quercetin, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that has anti inflammatory properties. Leeks come from onion family but are a bit sweater and more nutrients dense.

For those who are sensitive to onions and garlic, leek can present a challenge as well. In that instance please use the earlier mentioned asparagus and broccoli instead. 

To increase the flavour I used sundried tomatoes that are mixed with olive oil. These beauties provide 170% of the daily intake for vitamin C and are also rich in iron, and lycopene, an antioxidant associated with lowering the risk of certain cancers.

The recipe also asks for Parmesan cheese, however if you are dairy free, you may skip this ingredient.

Ok, let’s get started!

Estimated Preparation Time:

25 minutes 

Equipment:

Steamer pot with Lid Mixing bowl, Spatula or Wooden Spoon, Rubber bands or butchers twine to bind the leek together. 

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic peeled

1 egg


1 stem of leek, roots removed and washed


If leek is not in season you can replace them with 3-5 green asparagus stems (steamed for 2 minutes). 

1 tablespoon of olive oil


1⁄2 tablespoon of vinegar (red wine cider or balsamic etc) 

1 pinch of salt


1 pinch of pepper


4 cup chopped chives


1 handful of watercress or rocket salad


3 sundried tomatoes cut into half (wedges)


1⁄4 cup Parmesan shavings


1-2 slices of smoked salmon 

Method: 

1.  Fill your steamer pot high enough with water so that the water will cover the egg
2. Place the garlic into the steamer rack, close the pot and bring to the boil.
3. Once the water boils, place the egg into the water and cook for 6 minutes
4. Remove the egg and transfer straight away into very cold tap water Note: Give the egg a cold temperature shock once you remove it from the boiling water, or you will find that it is very difficult to peel later on.
5. Gently smash the egg shell all around (with the help of a hard utensil) then peel it gently and set aside
6. Place the leek into the steamer rack (you might have to cut it into half and fix it with some rubber bands)
7. Cook for 5 minutes, then check. The leeks are ready when you can penetrate the knife all the way through without too hard resistance in the centre. If it is still raw it will feel like a raw vegetable.
8. Once cooked remove the leek from the steamer and let chill for 2-3 minutes
9. Cut the leek into roundels and place onto the plate
10. Check the garlic by pressing it a little and if it mashes up like mashed potatoes it is ready
11. Place the garlic into the mixing bowl
12. Add the olive oil
13. Add the vinegar
14. Add the salt
15. Add the pepper and cream together so that the garlic becomes like a paste
16. Add the chives to the dressing and stir in
17. Scatter 2/3 of the dressing over the leeks
18. Sprinkle over the watercress leafs
19. Sprinkle over the tomatoes
20. Cut the egg into half and place onto the salad
21. Sprinkle the parmesan over
22. Drizzle the remaining dressing over
23. Garnish with the smoked salmon and serve

Note: If fully dressed, the dish lasts for at least an hour. If you want to precook it, you can do so as long as you plate it than the very last minute 

What can you serve with? 

Some boiled potatoes or some crunchy bread.