Superfood Salad

This salad contains several 'superfood' ingredients. You get Omega 3's from the oily fish, antioxidants from the green vegetables, monounsaturated fats from the avocado and seeds, as well as protein from the quinoa.  

Ingredients

  • 100g (3 1/2oz) quinoa
  • 100g (3 1/2oz) curly kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped. 
  • 100g (3 1/2oz) edamame beans
  • 1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 fillets of salmon

For the dressing

  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 3cm (1 1/4in) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
  • 6 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 6 tbsp soy sauce
  • 6 tbsp sesame oil

Method

  • Blanch the kale in boiling water for 1 minute. This makes the kale less 'earthy' and bitter and makes it actually edible! Drain the kale and dry it on kitchen paper, then roughly chop into small pieces. Put into a large salad bowl.
  • Boil the broccoli florets for 3-4 minutes until half cooked - depends how you like your broccoli but somewhere between raw and cooked is good for a salad!
  • Put the quinoa in a frying pan and toast over a medium heat (no oil), keeping it moving the whole time, until lightly golden and nutty (about 3 minutes).
  • Cook the salmon in the oven in a parcel of foil with a slash of oil for 10-15 minutes (depending how 'pink' you like your salmon).
  • Transfer to a small saucepan and add a good pinch of salt and 320ml (10fl oz) water. Cover, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it and add more water if needed throughout to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Remove from the heat and, keeping the lid on, let it steam for 5 minutes.
  • To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a clean jam jar and season well. Screw the lid on tightly and shake.
  • Add the edamame beans, broccoli, avocado, spring onions and quinoa. Dress with two-thirds of the dressing, give a swift mix so as not to let the avocado break up too much, then serve onto plates.
  • Top with the cooked salmon and the remaining dressing and finish with a scattering of the sesame seeds.
  • I sprinkled mine with pomegranate seeds that I had left over - nice touch!
  • Enjoy!!