Dark Cherry and Strawberry Quinoa Salad
In salads we like to add cherries, halved and de-stoned as an alternative to cherry tomatoes and they are just as sweet. Add grains, greens, avocados, nuts, and eye-catching fruit for a nourishing salad. Perfect for a colourful lunch or inspiring summer picnic!
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Dark Cherry and Strawberry Quinoa Salad
Dietary: Vegan, Gluten Free
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 200g cherries, de-stoned
- 200g strawberries, quartered
- 6 radishes, sliced diagonally
- 1 cougette, spiralised or sliced into matchsticks
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 bunch watercress
- 100g lambs lettuce
- 25g pistachios, sliced in half
Quinoa
- 75g red quinoa
- 150ml water
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
Dressing
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp Agave syrup
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Method
Cooking the Quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil in a saucepan and add the quinoa, stir, coating the grains in oil and stir-fry for a minute.
- Add the water to the quinoa. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa grain has burst.
- Turn the heat off keeping the lid on for a few minutes. Then fluff up the quinoa with a fork.
Preparing the Salad
- Make up the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together.
- Make up the salad platter, starting with the watercress, then the lambs lettuce. Add most of the quinoa, keeping some for the top. T
- hen add the spiralised courgette and top with the avocado, radishes, cherries and strawberries.
- Sprinkle over the rest of the quinoa and the pistachios and drizzle over the dressing.
- Eat at once!
Tips: to stop the sliced avocado turning brown, toss in a little lime or lemon juice.
Photos by Rob Wicks of Eat Pictures