Quinoa, Lemon Kale and Sesame Beetroot Salad Recipe

Bee pollen is a delicious sweet option on this salad and adds a delightful crunch

Serves

Ingredients

3 large beetroots, peeled and chopped into half moons

3 tbsp sunflower oil

180g (6½oz/1 cup) quinoa

1 tbsp bouillon powder

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small leek, finely sliced at an angle

Juice of 1½ lemons

80ml (3fl oz/½ cup) water

110g (3¾oz) kale, chopped

A pinch of Himalayan pink salt

75g (2¾oz) purple sprouting broccoli tops, finely chopped

¼ tbsp za’atar

½ tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp brown rice vinegar

15g (½oz) bee pollen (optional; leave out to make it vegan) to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

2. Roast the beetroot for 45 minutes with 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil.

3. Cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions, including the bouillon powder, then set aside.

4. Heat the remaining sunflower oil in a pan until hot. Toss in the garlic and leeks and saute on a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the juice of half a lemon and the measured water. Once the leeks have started to absorb some of the water, add the kale and stir. Next, add in the juice of another half a lemon along with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the kale is wilted and soft. Remove from the heat.

5. Assemble the ingredients by mixing the kale, leeks and beetroot through the quinoa, then gently fold in the broccoli, lemon zest and herbs.

6. Mix through the remaining lemon juice, za’atar, mirin, sesame oil and brown rice vinegar. Finish off with a beautiful garnish of bee pollen, if using.

Note

To add a flavourful twist add a pinch of saffron into the squash coconut milk mixture while it cooks and 1 teaspoon or capful or rosewater to the blender. The result will be a wonderfully delicate and exotic Mid-Eastern sensation.

Recipe take from Honestly Healthy For Life: Healthy Alternatives for Everyday Eating by Natasha Corrett and Vicki Edgson. Photography by Lisa Lindner. Published in hardback by Jacqui Small. Available now in full colour eBook format across the Kindle and Apple platforms.

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