Keep lunch light and low maintenance with this easy quinoa and radish salad recipe
Try this radish salad recipe from Natural Chef Ceri Jones for a light and refreshing summer meal as part of our energy reset meal plan .
"This radish and radish top pesto quinoa salad with yellow courgettes, is a fresh, healthy salad perfect for a lunchbox, feeding a crowd or for a tasty side," says Ceri.
Serves 3-4
INGREDIENTS
For the quinoa
150g quinoa
2 courgettes (yellow / green / patty pan)
200g radishes, cut in half lengthways
60g feta, roughly crumbled
20g pine nuts, toasted
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the radish leaf pesto
20 grams cashew nuts, toasted
30 grams pine nuts, toasted
1 large handful of good-looking radish leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped, approx 40g
10g small handful of parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
juice and zest of a lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil, + plus more to get the consistency you like
METHOD
1. First make the pesto. Roughly blitz the warm nuts in your food processor, then add the garlic and blitz briefly to incorporate. Next add in the radish leaves, parsley lemon juice, zest and olive oil. Blend again, till a chunky green paste forms (don’t make it too smooth), add salt and pepper and taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If you want a runnier pesto, add more olive oil and lemon juice in a 2:1 ratio to thin it out. Set aside.
2. Rinse your quinoa well, place in a saucepan with 300mls cold stock or water. Bring to the boil, cover turn to a low heat and cook for for 15 minutes. If not quite done at 15 minutes turn off the heat and leave for 5-10 minutes for all the water to be absorbed. Transfer to a cool bowl to cool, then fluff up with a fork.
3. Next cook your radishes on the griddle pan over a medium heat with a little olive oil. Start cut side down and cook for around 6 minutes then turn over to finish off for another 4 or so minutes. Set aside. Then thinly slice your courgettes into long ribbons 3mm thick. I use a mandolin, but you can use a peeler or knife. Either-way try and maintain the same thickness for all pieces. Fry in a little oil on a griddle or frying pan until lightly charred, roughly 30 seconds each side.
4. Toss the cooled cooked quinoa with the courgettes, radish and stir through enough pesto to coat the grains. Transfer to a serving plate.
5. Top the salad with the feta, an extra drizzle of pesto and some extra toasted pine nuts.
Ceri Jones is a certified Natural Chef , recipe writer and tutor