Super salad
Fresh seasonal salad days are here, coinciding with cheese month. To celebrate both, this page, and page 56, have two cheesy salad recipes from Canterbury’s own cookbook queens, Margo Flanagan and Rosa Powers. Enjoy.
HERBY QUINOA AND HALLOUMI SALAD
Feeds: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 head broccoli, finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen green peas, blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes then drained
- 2 cups chopped fresh herbs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 Tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- 250 g (9 oz) halloumi, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 avocado, cut into chunks
HERB YOGHURT (DRESSING)
- 1 cup plain plant-based or dairy Greek yoghurt
- 1 cup chopped fresh herbs
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 Tsp sea salt
METHOD
1. Add the quinoa and water to a pot. Bring the water to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the quinoa uncovered for 7 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat.
2. For the herb yoghurt, process all the ingredients in a blender until you have a smooth, vibrant green sauce. (Alternatively you can use a stick blender.)
3. To a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, broccoli, blanched peas, herbs, pumpkin seeds, olive oil and salt. Gently mix together.
4. Lastly, heat the cooking oil in a frypan and fry the halloumi cubes for 2–3 minutes on one side before flipping them over. Continue to cook for another 2–3 minutes until they are crispy and golden.
5. To serve, divide the quinoa between four bowls and top with the halloumi and avocado. Dollop the herb yoghurt on top.
This is best served straight away so the halloumi is gooey and soft. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It is best to leave out the halloumi and avocado and add them fresh each time.
