Quinoa is a brilliant grain to include in a vegetarian diet as it contains all of the essential amino acids that are needed by the body. Avocadoes are a healthy source of monounsaturated fat, most of which is oleic acid, which is also found in olive oil.
Ingredients
- 40g cashew nuts
- 120g quinoa
- 1 medium 150g red onion finely sliced
- 2 sticks 60g celery finely sliced
- 1 medium 150g avocado peeled, de-stoned and cut into chunks
- 80g spinach sliced
- 1 small 90g yellow pepper finely chopped
- 15g coriander finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- Warm a small frying pan over a medium heat and add the cashew nuts. Gently toast the nuts for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer the cashews to a small plate to cool.
- Rinse the quinoa then add it to a medium-sized saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for a further five minutes or until the seeds start to “sprout” and are tender.
- Drain the quinoa, then transfer to a large bowl along with the vegetables, coriander and cashew nuts. Mix well.
- Season the salad with salt and pepper and dress with olive oil and lemon juice.
