SuperValu’s Let’s Grow Recipes by Lilly Higgins couldn’t be easier to make
SuperValu’s Let’s GROW programme has got our spring and summer recipes sorted!
The SuperValu Let’s GROW programme is a nationwide initiative developed in partnership with social enterprise GIY, which has been designed to engage primary schools in food education and sustainable growing practices. By the end of 2025, nearly 170,000 primary school children in Ireland will have taken part in the programme.
As part of their campaign for this year, SuperValu has asked award-winning chef Lilly Higgins to create five simple, family-friendly recipes to spice up your kitchen in the coming months.
Speaking about her passion for the project, Lily exclaimed: "We all know that those who grow their own food tend to eat more locally, organically and seasonally, which is incredibly important. By giving our kids the power to cook with ingredients they’ve grown themselves, we can inspire them to get excited about fruit and veg.”
Check out Lilly’s five incredible recipes below, and give them a go:
Garlic & Parmesan French Beans
Ingredients:
300g French beans, trimmed and cut into bitesize pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
Pinch half pepper
Salt for seasoning
Method:
Place a large shallow pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the French beans and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Keep moving and stirring the beans in the pan till they’re just cooked through. You don’t want them to get too soft. Once cooked, sprinkle over the Parmesan.
Top Tips:
You can store your trimmed, chopped beans in a sealed container in the fridge, ready for cooking.
Green Pea Guacamole
Ingredients:
500g peas, shelled
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
20g coriander, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp sour cream or thick yogurt
Tortilla chips, for serving
Method:
Cook the peas in boiling water for a few minutes till bright green, drain and rinse in cold water. Blitz the peas in a blender till smooth with the coriander, lime juice, sour cream and a pinch of salt. Gently fold in the chopped tomatoes and serve with tortilla chips
Top Tips:
This guacamole will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. You could include it in a small tub in a lunchbox with a few tortilla chips or vegetable sticks. Any leftover dip can be blitzed with a little chicken stock to make a delicious soup.
Summer Salad
Ingredients:
Mixed salad leaves (500g)
2 carrots, peeled
2 beetroots, peeled
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch sea salt
2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
Method:
Tear the salad leaves into bite size pieces. Roughly grate the carrots and beetroot. Mix the salad leaves, carrot and beetroot in a large bowl, along with the olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Mix gently then scatter with the toasted sunflower seeds.
Top Tips:
This salad is best eaten the day you make it. You can store grated veg in the fridge for up to 5 days, and then add handfuls to salads as you need them. Add the dressing & toasted seeds just before serving.
Sunflower seed crunchies
Ingredients:
300g sunflower seeds
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp chia seeds
200g chocolate, melted
Pinch sea salt
Method:
Mix the sunflower seeds & chia in a bowl with the honey or maple syrup. Use a cookie cutter to shape the sunflower seeds on a lined baking tray. Bake at 180c for 10-15 mins till crunchy and golden. Leave to cool fully. Once cooled, melt some chocolate, then dip or drizzle the crunchies with chocolate, along with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Top Tips:
You can add pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, linseed, sesame or poppy seeds to make a great addition to these crunchies. These are a great source of fibre, protein and energy to keep you going during busy days!
Watercress Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
500g watercress
20g basil
200ml Olive oil
50g finely grated Parmesan
Salt & Black pepper
1- 2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
Penne pasta , cooked
Method:
Blend all the ingredients together till well mixed. Fold your pesto into your cooked pasta and dress with a little more parmesan and toasted sunflower seeds.
Top Tips:
Make this pesto ahead of time and store in a jar in the fridge, covered with a layer of olive oil. It will keep for up to 3 days. This pesto is great as a dip or drizzled over pizza when it comes out of the oven.
Grow and cook along with Lilly this year by following SuperValu and GIY, and using the hashtag #supervaluletsgrow on social media.