Supergrain salad base
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- less than 10 mins
- Serve
- Serves 3–4
Bright green and wholesome, this grain salad base is layered with textures. To make it even easier, use a pouch of cooked grains. Crumbled feta, soy-marinated tofu or grilled fish would be spot-on additions to this salad for a more filling meal.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 250g/9oz cooked quinoa or mixed grains
- 100g/3½oz soft herbs, such as parsley and mint, finely chopped
- 150g/5½oz frozen broad beans, blanched and shelled
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and tip in the pumpkin seeds, shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until the shallots are tender and the pumpkin seeds are beginning to pop.
Stir in the quinoa or grains and remove from the heat.
Stir the chopped herbs through the grain mixture along with the beans, then check the seasoning.
Allow to cool completely, then tip into an airtight container and cover. Store in the fridge for 3–5 days.
Recipe tips
Squeeze over the juice of ½ a lemon or lime for some bright acidity. Or dress with soy sauce and grated ginger.
Stir through some crumbled feta and creamy avocado for a delicious salad.
Frozen broad beans lose some of the bright green colour they have when fresh. You can peel off the outer skin to make them look more attractive, but this isn't essential.
