This salad creates bold, eye catching and fun colours, every element entices you into wanting another mouthful. I love how refreshing and light this salad is.
The hearty grain of quinoa is an extremely healthy ingredient to use in cooking, especially for salads. It has a rich source of protein as well as a few vitamins and minerals, it is high in essential amino acids which is a fantastic protein source.
Quinoa has been a food trend for a few years now, popular with people trying to eat healthily and to ensure they are getting a good intake of nutrients. It has a slight nutty flavour and partners well with root vegetables such as beetroot and onions, and as seen with this salad also compliments citrus flavours well.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- ½ zest of blood orange
- ½ zest of lemon
- 2tbsp blood orange juice
- 1tbsp fresh lemon juice
- a few leaves of coriander, chiffonade
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 3/4 cup of water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ a blood orange segmented
- 1 whole avocado, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium beetroots
- Pomegranate seeds
Method:
- Place the two medium beetroots into some foil and place on a tray into an oven at 180 degrees. This will take about 45 minutes to an hour.
- To make the dressing, put all the dressing ingredients into a jug and mix together. Taste as you go along to ensure the correct acidity and consistency. Set aside.
- Place the quinoa, salt and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- TIP: to recognise the quinoa is cooked, it should look a little transparent around the edges and the water should have absorbed into the grain.
- Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork and add a knob butter.
- Peel and cube the avocado and segment the blood orange.
- Remove the beetroots from the oven and peel (whilst wearing gloves) the skin off and slice into wedges.
- Bring the salad together by combining the quinoa, avocado, beetroot and orange segments into a bowl.
- The top with pomegranate seeds and the dressing.
