This *Get Your Greens Quinoa Salad* is a properly satisfying salad in less than 30 mins. Make sure you use up the broccoli stalks too! If you run out of herbs, chop watercress/rocket/lettuce anything green goes! Swap quinoa for lentils or rice/ pasta/ buckwheat. This salad is lovely served warm or pack it up leftovers.

Method

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions with a pinch of sea salt.Meanwhile, shake the dressing ingredients together in a jam jar.
2. In a wide frying pan, toast the nuts for 1 min, chop then set aside.  Back to the pan, add the broccoli & ½ mug of water then let simmer for 4 mins while you get on with chopping up everything else.
3. Add oil to the broccoli pan, add the courgettes, turn up the heat, add a big pinch of S&P & let the veg cook for 4 mins, stirring occasionally until the veg is tender & going golden at the edges. Add the peas for the last min.
4. Add the cooked quinoa to a large bowl & gently stir through ½ the dressing then add everything from the frying pan to the bowl along with half the herbs & gently mix, season to taste.
5. Pile everything onto a big platter, topping with the rest of the herbs & nuts & dressing & feta/ whatever you like.

Ingredients

300g uncooked quinoa/ puy lentils
1 medium head of broccoli, use the stalk too, chopped
2 medium courgettes, sliced
1 tbsp oil of your choice, I used ghee
½ large cucumber, diced
2 large handfuls of (frozen) peas
1 large handful of chives / spring onions/ 1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 large handfuls of fresh herbs – I used basil – try mint / coriander / parsley
1 large handful of nuts or seeds eg pistachios or sunflower seeds
Optional – top with feta, fried halloumi, goat’s cheese.
Dressing
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice & zest of 1 1/2 lemons
1 fat clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup or raw honey
Sea salt & pepper
1 tbsp dried mint /oregano /thyme

My Cookbook