Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups filtered water
- 6 small spears of asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 corn cobs, kernels removed
- 1 handful of snow peas, cut into three on the diagonal
- 1 pomegranate, seeds removed
- 1 cup coriander leaves
- 1 cup roughly chopped mint leaves
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- ½ cup in total of sesame seeds,
- sunflower seeds and pepitas, toasted, plus extra to serve
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 handful of chopped coriander, to serve
Cannellini, Pomegranate and Quinoa Salad
This is a really quick salad to throw together. To make it even yummier, gently warm the oil over low heat, then add 2 cloves of garlic and the sumac. Add this to the dressing, discarding the garlic if you want. Of course other veggies such as steamed broccoli, peas, beetroot or beans will work in this salad, as well as raw capsicum or fennel.
Method
Put the quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Drop to a simmer, put the lid half on and cook until you can’t see the water and little ‘volcano holes’ appear in the quinoa. This will take 10–15 minutes. Taste the quinoa; it should be tender and almost cooked. If not, add a splash more water. Put the lid on and turn the heat off. Allow the quinoa to cook in its own steam for another 10 minutes, or until you’re ready to serve.
Steam the asparagus until just tender, then rinse under cold water to stop it cooking. When cool enough to handle, cut each spear into thirds.
In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together. For the dressing, put all the ingredients in a jar and shake well (or whisk in a bowl).
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again.
Serve on a large platter, sprinkled with the extra sumac and toasted seeds and the chopped coriander.
“Janella’s Wholefood Kitchen” by Janella Purcell, published by Allen and Unwin, RRP $39.99 available where books are sold.
Submitted byJanella Purcell
Tips and Tricks
Keep parsley in a glass of water, like a bouquet of flowers and store in your fridge wrapped in a plastic bag. Mint should last a week or so stored in this way. Remember to change the water regularly to prevent mould and decay.
Growing your own herbs can also be one of the most efficient, cost effective and waste-avoiding ways to supply your kitchen. Simply grow them in your garden or on your windowsill and cut off what you need as you go.
You can tell asparagus is going bad when the tips begin to turn a very dark green. If this happens you can cut off the tips and cook your asparagus immediately, before they begin to form mould.
