Love quinoa but get stuck with ways to eat it beyond well just plain eating it? This salad is an amazing solution with a super juicy combination of middle eastern style flavours – cumin, coriander, mint, parsley and pistachio.
Welcome as always to mix it up to suit what’s available in your pantry with the grains too – any type of quinoa, freekeh, barley or cous cous would also work well.
MIDDLE EASTERN STYLE POMEGRANATE PISTACHIO GRAIN SALAD
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4
1/3 cup tricolour quinoa, rinsed, drained
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 stalks celery, finely diced
200g baby tomatoes, quartered
1 x 400g can BPA FREE chickpeas or lentils, rinsed, drained
½ cup herbs of your choice, finely chopped (I used mint, parsley and coriander)
¼ cup currants
80g goats’ cheese, crumbled (optional)
Dressing:
2/3 cup natural unsweetened yoghurt
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted, lightly crushed
1 tbsp honey
Zest and juice of 1 lemon +extra wedges, to serve
Pomegranate seeds, toasted pistachio nuts, chopped, to serve
Cook quinoa according to packet instructions. Drain well and set aside to cool. In a large bowl place onion, garlic, celery, tomatoes, chickpeas or lentils, herbs, currants, goats’ cheese and quinoa. Season and stir gently to combine. In a medium bowl place yoghurt, cumin seeds, honey, lemon juice and zest. Season and stir well to combine. Spoon dressing over salad and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pistachios.
Serve with lemon wedges.
