Today was one of those days where I struggled to pinpoint what I wanted to eat for lunch. I kept dreaming of fries, and rösti, and baked potatoes. Crispy, greasy, salty bits. Nutritious, I know. But then, out of nowhere, this salad that I love to make in the summer popped into my mind. We had everything but the radishes, so I decided to sub in some cucumber. Then I dug out the block of feta that’s been languishing in our cheese drawer for longer than I’d like to admit. Both of these additions have lifted this salad to even loftier heights and I think this is going to be my go to this summer. We sat out on our balcony eating big bowlfuls of it and soaking in the early spring sun. Heavenly.
Quinoa salad with broccoli, edamame, cucumber, avocado, and feta
200 g quinoa
500 g water
1 cup frozen edamame
400 g broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
half a salad cucumber, sliced in half lengthways, seeds scooped out, and finely sliced
1 perfectly ripe avocado
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic, peeled and with the core removed
75 ml extra virgin olive oil
0.5 tsp ground cumin
150 g feta, crumbled
Salt
Place the quinoa in a saucepan with the water and a decent pinch of salt, and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 9-10 minutes. At the end of cooking check that all the water is absorbed, if not cook for a minute or two longer. When all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat but leave on the hot stove with the lid on and steam for another 5 mins. Spread the quinoa over a large tray, or place in a big bowl and allow to cool.
Add the chopped broccoli and edamame to a pan with a bit of water covering the bottom. Season with salt, place a lid on the pot and place over a high heat. When boiling, cook for 2 mins or until the broccoli is just tender. Drain and allow to cool.
Top and tail the lemon, and set it upright on a chopping board. With a sharp knife gently cut the skin and the pith off all the way around. Slide your knife in close to the membrane between segments and lift out the flesh, putting it into a bowl. Repeat until you have all the flesh removed and squeeze any remaining juice from the membrane into the bowl. Remove any seeds. Chop the garlic into chunks and grind in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of coarse salt until you get a paste. Add this to the lemon and mix. Slice the avocado thinly and gently toss in the lemon and garlic mixture.
Add the edamame, broccoli, cucumber, and crumbled feta to the avocado mixture together along with the olive oil, cumin, and salt (I find just shy of 1/2 tsp of salt is good). Mix together. Add the quinoa and toss together until fully combined. Serve at room temperature.