Jewelled Quinoa Salad
This vibrant herbed salad is bursting with fresh flavour with a hint of the Levant due to the inclusion of tart pomegranate seeds. I have used New Zealand-grown quinoa for its delightful chewy texture, though couscous would work just as well (prepare it according to packet instructions).
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups quinoa
- Large handful (about 100g) each parsley and mint, roughly chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon, about 4 tbsp
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- Half telegraph cucumber, cubed
- Seeds of half a pomegranate
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and quinoa and boil for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is just tender while still chewy. Drain thoroughly in a sieve and spread the quinoa in a shallow bowl to cool. The quinoa can be prepared the day before and stored in a container in the fridge overnight.
- To prepare the salad, in a large bowl combine the cooled quinoa (or couscous) with the chopped herbs, lemon juice and olive oil. Stir well and taste, adding extra lemon juice if needed and season well. Fold through the tomatoes and cucumber and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds. Cover until ready to serve.