A rainbow quinoa salad

I love to experiment with new recipes, especially those which involve throwing a whole lot of healthy ingredients into a bowl with not much effort, but that will last you for a few meals ahead.



A couple of months ago, I watched a video by Niomi Smart in which she made a "Healthy Rainbow Salad". I decided to recreate this recipe using some of my preferred ingredients, and have provided the recipe below. It's a really easy salad to throw together and the protein from the quinoa keeps you full for hours. You can also add some meat such as chicken or lamb for a bit of extra protein.

Rainbow Quinoa Salad

You'll need:

- 2 cups of quinoa
- 2 carrots, grated
- A handful of green beans, topped and tailed
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup of almonds
- 1 bunch of shallots, sliced

And for the dressing:

- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- A good sprinkling of salt and pepper



1. Start by cooking your quinoa in a pot with about 4 cups of water - this should take approximately 15-20 minutes to cook.

2. Meanwhile, place the green beans in some water and boil for 10 minutes, until the beans have softened.

2. Once the quinoa is cooked, allow it to cool for a few minutes, then toss it together with the shallots, almonds and dried cranberries.

 

3. Add in the carrots and green beans and stir everything together well.

4. For the dressing, pour the oil and lemon juice into a jar, add in a good amount of salt and pepper and shake well.

5. Pour the dressing over the salad, give it all one final stir, and enjoy!