I love a colourful hearty salad!! Most of us need a few more vegetarian meals in our repertoire. This one is a meal in itself and is also great as a side with chicken, beef or lamb. Great for lunch the next day or a dinner from the fridge tomorrow - you could add some grilled chicken or lamb to change it up. Also great as a wrap! Use any roast veg you have in the fridge. Try adding or substituting zucchini, eggplant or sweet potato. Tip: Roast Vegetables and cook quinoa on the weekend for a quick Monday/Tuesday meal. Recipe adapted from Helmsley & Helmsley “The Art of Eating Well” |
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped into 1-2cm chunks
- 250 g pumpkin cut into 1-2cm chunks
- 1 large red capsicum, roughly chopped
- 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
- 1 large onion red onion roughly chopped into 8ths.
- 1-2 medium beetroot, well scrubbed and chopped into little chunks - 1-2cm
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- a handful of fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary, sage or 2 tbsp mixed dried herbs
- 150g - 200g leafy greens - I use the beetroot leaves (wash well and chop) and add some rocket or baby spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas or sesame seeds (or a combination)
- sea salt and black pepper
- ½ - ¾ cup BB pesto (or a good quality bought pesto)
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 50-60g feta cheese (optional)
Quinoa
1- 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa (I cook quinoa and freeze in batches to use in recipes like this to save time mid week)
- 1.5 cups bone broth or water
- ¾ cup quinoa (rinsed well several times)
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. Lay the roughly chopped vegetables & whole cherry tomatoes in a single layer on a large roasting tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter over the herbs.
3. Roast for 30–40 minutes or until the veg is tender (pierce with a knife to check). Halfway through the roasting time, use a wooden spatula to turn the veg
4. Meanwhile, make the pesto if you don’t have pre-made.
5. Place quinoa and water/stock in saucepan and bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for another 15 mins until tender (check on it ½ way through in case it needs more water).
6. To make dressing combine ½ - 1/3 cup pesto with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar.
7. Combine the quinoa, chickpeas and roasted vegetables in a big serving bowl, toss in your pesto & olive oil and the rocket/baby spinach salad leaves, sprinkle with crumbled feta (if using) nuts/seeds and serve warm or cold.