Broad beans and peas salad with arugula pesto

Spring has already come, so it's time for a decent shot of vitamin:). It's been quite a few days since broad beans and peas has appeared on vegetable stalls in Barcelona's markets. Broad beans are one of my favourite vegetables, normally I eat them cooked, but here, in Spain, I've tried for the first time the raw ones that I eat immediately after removing them from the pods. This young broad beans and peas do not require even a bit of cooking, but if you want  you can put them for 2-3 minutes to salted boiling water, and then, after straining them through a sieve, put them into cold water to stop the cooking process. This way the peas will keep their beautiful green colour. Broad beans, unfortunately, after cooking will become a little grayish.

Ingredients (serves 4):

bunch of radishes

150 g young broad beans (removed from pods)

100 g young peas (removed from pods)

2 handfuls alfalfa sprouts or other

2 handfuls lettuce mix

arugula pesto:

40 g arugula

20 g almonds

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 garlic clove

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Put almonds in a blender and pulse until they turn into crumbs. Add the previously washed and dried arugula, grated Parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the peas and broad beans from the pods. Wash and dry the lettuce and sprouts. Wash the radishes and cut them into quarters.  Mix the beans, peas, radishes and sprouts with the pesto. Put the lettuce leaves at the bottom of a bowl, add the vegetables mixed with pesto on it. Add salt to taste.

Enjoy !!!