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!

Do share any summer recipes you're excited about. Comment below or come chat with us on Facebook and Twitter!

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