Quinoa & Cucumber Salad with Pesto

We like to refer to this as the ‘summer BBQ salad’ because it is nourishing, filling AND can be made ahead of time! A great element of this salad is that the dressing is pesto which adds heaps of flavour and makes it quick and easy to whip up.

You can mix and match this salad with other ingredients and bulk it up by adding some protein of your choice to it. Hot smoked salmon and sliced chicken thighs are great additions.

You can find this recipe along with 92 others in our cookbook, The Balanced Table.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 continental cucumber, halved

and sliced

2-3 large handfuls of fresh baby

spinach

1 avocado, diced

1 cup toasted pepitas

150g feta cheese, crumbled

3 tbsp pesto

lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method:

Begin by preparing your salad components. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, sliced cucumber, fresh baby spinach, and diced avocado.

Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are golden and fragrant. This adds a delightful crunch and nuttiness to the salad. Once toasted, add them to the salad bowl.

Crumble the feta cheese into the bowl, adding a creamy texture and a tangy flavour to the mix. In a small bowl, stir together the pesto and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. This helps to thin the pesto, making it easier to distribute throughout the salad.

Drizzle this mixture over the salad ingredients. Gently toss all the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated with the pesto and lemon dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this refreshing and hearty green salad as a

main course or a side dish.