This is a great salad on it’s own for lunch or dinner. It can be served warm or cold and stores really well should you want to make it in advance for something special the following day. I am enjoying ‘as is’ for my lunch today as a little delicious ‘something’ given Meatless Monday has snuck on me again (makes me appreciate how quickly the weeks fly by). I have also enjoyed this healthy salad before with steamed or pan fried chicken either mixed through or balanced beautifully on top with a lemon dressing.

Play around with it – I hope you love it as I do.

Healthy salad with quinoa, roasted pumpkin and forest mushrooms

1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into large cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
Sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Approx 10 mixed mushrooms
1 garlic clove, crushed
Good splash of olive oil
Sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

1-2 cups cooked quinoa or use freekah for a delicious alternative
Spinach leaves, washed and dried
Spring onions to garnish

Dressing : Extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, juice of half a lemon, sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 190oC. Place pumpkin on a baking tray and toss with the olive oil, cumin, chilli flakes and salt & pepper. Bake the pumpkin for approx 25 minutes. Set aside.

Tear mushrooms roughly and place on a lined baking tray and mix with the garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes. Set aside.

Cook the quinoa or frekkah according to packet instructions. There is great info here for you if you want to master how to cook quinoa to perfection.

Make a dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients. A good salad dressing is 2/3 olive oil to 1/2 acid. Your acid can be vinegars or citrus or a combination of both as we are using here.

Place all ingredients (except the dressing and spring onions) in a large bowl and toss gently with your hands to combine. Add enough dressing to coat the salad. Any left over dressing can be stored in the refrigerator in a screw top jar for up to 2 weeks – just let it sit out of fridge for half an hour before you use again.

Bon e petite!