Summery Salad

Ingredients:

• 150g cooked quinoa/bulgur wheat/brown rice- any grain of choice.
• 75g pomegranate seeds/raspberries.
• Fresh mint (a large handful).
• Salad onion.
• Half a cucumber.
• Sun dried tomatoes.
• 1 lemon.
• 80g feta cheese (crumbled).
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil.
• 2tbsp mixed seeds (flax seeds, pumpkin and sunflower).
• Bunch of parsley.
• Tin of beans/lentils eg butter beans or borlotti beans.
• Optional: avocado.

Salad prep:

Cook your grain of choice and allow to cool. Dice the cucumber (remove the seeds, this stops the salad from going soggy and keeps it crisp and fresh). Mix with the spring onion, sundried tomatoes, raspberries/ pomegranate seeds, chopped herbs (parsley + mint). Crumble the feta.

Drain the tin of lentils/beans of choice and add to salad. Sprinkle seeds on top for crunch, texture and healthy fats protein and fibre.

Next, dress the salad with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Grate the zest of the lemon and add to the salad for a zingy fresh twist.

This salad is a perfect addition to a BBQ, or as a light lunch and keeps fresh for 2 -3 days.

Top- Tip -  batch cook your grains (quinoa or brown rice) they keep in the fridge for about 5 days and make it super easy to add to salads.