This yummy quinoa salad will be your new lunchbox favourite

Trine Jensen-Burke

We are long-time fans of blogger, foodie and cookbook author Roz Purcell here at HerFamily HQ.

Having already tested a few of the delicious and healthy recipes in her book Natural Born Feeder, we have absolutely found our favourites.

Always on the look-out for lunchbox ideas that can tempt us to eat at our desks and not in any of the many (and very tempting) nearby establishments, this super-tasty quinoa salad might be just the ticket.

In the book, Roz explains how you can customize the salad as you wish, and that she sometimes add shredded chicken for some extra protein.

Healthy and yum; you got us, Roz!

QUINOA SALAD WITH BROCCOLI, FETA AND HAZELNUTS

(Recipe serves 4)

Ingredients

260g quinoa

100g red split lentils

100g raw hazelnuts

50g mix of pumpkin and

sunflower seeds

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red onion, finely chopped

½ small head of broccoli,

chopped

½ large cucumber, cut into

cubes

75g feta cheese, cut into

cubes

25g fresh flat-leaf parsley,

chopped

DRESSING:

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp light tahini

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1 level tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp tamari or soya sauce

1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Rinse the quinoa under cold running water to get rid of its bitter coating.
Place the quinoa in a saucepan and pour in 750ml water. Cover the saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the germ has separated from the seed.
Tip into a colander to drain off any excess water, then set aside and allow it to cool.
Put the lentils and 250ml water into a separate small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the lentils have softened but haven’t turned to mush.
Remove from the heat, strain and set aside to cool completely.
To toast the hazelnuts, preheat the oven to 200°C. Put them on a baking tray and toast them in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the skins have started to loosen.
Remove the hazelnut skins using the roast-and-rub method: tip the warm nuts into a slightly dampened kitchen towel, fold up the sides and rub the skins off using the towel.
To toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, spread them over a baking tray and toast them in the oven along with the hazelnuts for a few minutes, until they start to turn golden.
Tip the seeds out of the tray and set them aside.
When the quinoa and lentils are cool, place them in a large mixing bowl with the remaining salad ingredients, including the toasted hazelnuts and seeds.
Use a fork to toss everything together.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle most of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Divide the salad between shallow bowls or plates and drizzle the rest of the dressing on top.