3 WAYS WITH Pickles

Whether it's cornichons, onions, beetroots or dill pickles, you can do so much more than you might think with these vinegary beauties

- NADINE BROWN

Pickles are not just for garnishing burgers. Make the most of those jars in your cupboard with these clever recipes taken to the next level by using mouth-puckeringly tangy, briny pickles.

1 Cucumber, cornichon and pickled onion gazpacho

We used a mixed jar of cornichons and mini pickled onions for this recipe, which often comes with mustard seeds in the brine, creating a pretty garnish for this refreshing chilled soup.

SERVES 2 | PREP 15 MINS | COOK 5 MINS | EASY 

1 Put the cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, whole cornichons and juice, whole onions, 1 tbsp of olive oil, half the basil, the jalapeño, garlic and sugar into a blender. Blitz until completely smooth. If too thick, add up to 2 tbsp of water to thin slightly. Season to taste, then pour into a jug and transfer to a fridge to completely chill.

2 Blitz the remaining basil and oil in a blender until as smooth as possible. Transfer to a small pan and gently simmer for 2-3 mins, stirring often, until just starting to bubble. Double strain into a small bowl and leave to cool completely.

3 When you're ready to serve, divide the gazpacho between two small bowls. Drizzle over the basil oil and garnish with the remaining cornichons, pickled onions and basil leaves. Sprinkle over the mustard seeds and serve.

PER SERVING 390 kcals | fat 37G
saturates 5.5G I carbs 7.8G I sugars 4.4G
fibre 4.1G I protein 4.3G I salt 1.3G

2 Beetroot mezcalita