California quinoa & avocado salad

4 of 5-a-day avocado salad calcium easy quinoa recipe fibre folate gluten free vegetarian avocado vitamin c

N/A

Source

Ingredients

250g butternut squash , chopped into small chunks

2 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil

120g pack thin-stemmed broccoli , cut into small pieces

250g pouch cooked quinoa

small handful coriander , leaves picked and chopped

small handful mint , leaves picked and chopped

4 spring onions , finely sliced on an angle

50g pomegranate seeds

20g pistachios , roughly chopped

1 small ripe avocado

juice ½ lemon

handful sprouts (alfalfa or china rose sprouts are nice) or baby herb leaves

1 tbsp tahini

½ small ripe avocado , stoned, peeled and roughly chopped

small handful coriander , leaves picked

small handful mint , leaves picked

zest and juice ½ lemon

2 tsp clear honey or maple syrup

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with parchment. Tip the butternut squash onto the tray, drizzle with 2 tsp oil and season well. Roast for 20 mins, then push the squash to one end of the tray, add the broccoli to the other end and drizzle with 1 tsp oil. Season and roast for 10 mins more.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Put all the ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor, add 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt. Blitz to make a loose dressing, adding a little more water if necessary.

Squeeze the pouch of quinoa to separate the grains, then tip into a large bowl. Add the herbs, spring onions, pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, season and toss everything together. Add the roasted veg too.

Divide the salad between two plates and drizzle over the dressing. Halve the avocado and remove the stone, then slide a dessertspoon between the skin and flesh to remove it in one piece. Place on a chopping board, rounded side up, and thinly slice. Squeeze over the lemon juice, then slide a knife underneath and lift half the avocado onto each salad. Top with the sprouts and grind over a little pepper, if you like.