Smoked mackerel and bean salad with avocado dressing

A while back I posted this smoked mackerel sweetcorn and avodaco salad. It was a throw together thing that worked out really well. Total flukesville. It was equally popular at home as it was on here on the blog. I often have smoked mackerel in the fridge, with nothing in particular in mind for it. (I usually chuck some in the shopping basket as I know everyone will eat it, plus it’s healthy, and it doesn’t even need cooking!). This mega healthy salad was a similarly thrown together thing, and everybody loved it. Bea and Artie ate every last bit of their portion, pretty much. Couldn’t believe it. Kids eating a healthy salad!

The best bit is the dressing, which had everyone asking for more. I got the idea from Jamie Oliver’s latest TV series (loving it, some amazing ideas for cheap family meals without compromise) who whizzed up something similar on TV the other night. It’s like mayo, but fresher, creamier and healthier. I was very smug indeed after making this, I can tell you. The kids couldn’t get enough. I even saw them accidentally eat pieces of lettuce with the sauce on! Happily, I mouthed to Adam across the table “they’re eating the l-e-tt-u-ce!!”. Oh, the things that thrill you as a parent.

Sorry for the imprecise measurements, it was very much unplanned so didn’t jot the exact amounts down.

Serves: 2/3 adults or equivalent as a lunch
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients: 
1 tin of mixed bean salad, drained and rinsed
1 packet of smoked mackerel, which had about 4 fillets in, skinned and torn into small pieces
Few lettuce leaves, shredded thinly
About 1/3 cucumber, cut into a large dice
Handful of coriander leaves, chopped roughly

For the dressing: 
Handful of coriander stalks
3 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt
1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Salt

To serve: 
A pinch of paprika

Instructions: 

1. Drain the beans and mix with the chopped cucumber, shredded lettuce leaves and torn up mackerel pieces. 
2. Whizz up the dressing in a small processor. If you only have a large one, then make twice as much (it will keep if you add a squeeze of lemon or lime for a few days).
3. Combine half of the dressing with the salad, serving more alongside. It’ll all go, I’m telling you!