Lemony raw beetroot and quinoa salad

Give your lunch a makeover with this lemony raw beetroot and quinoa salad

Raw beetroot is crisp yet tender, earthy and sweet. The secret to the tastiest raw beetroot is to cut it very thinly. A mandoline is the best tool to create paper-thin slices, but if you are confident with your knife skills, you can go the old-fashioned route. This salad is vegan, but if you are serving people who don’t mind dairy, feta cheese is lovely folded in.

Ingredients
190g quinoa, soaked if possible

415ml water

¾ tsp fine sea salt

1 medium beetroot

1tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Lemon Garlic Dressing

Zest of 1 lemon

50g raw, unsalted pistachios

1 shallot, sliced

55g chopped fresh dill

130g mixed green olives, with stones

Method
Rinse the quinoa well. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed and the grains are tender. Fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa is cooking, peel the beetroot and thinly slice it with a mandoline. In a medium bowl, toss the beetroot slices with the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Set aside.

Pour half of the dressing and sprinkle the lemon zest over the cooked quinoa while it is still warm – toss to coat.

Preheat a small dry frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, toast the pistachios for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, leave the nuts to cool and then roughly chop them.

Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl or serving platter. Add the sliced shallot and dill to the quinoa; fold to combine. Tuck the beetroot slices into the quinoa (if you toss them in, the quinoa will turn pink!), then add the olives and chopped pistachios. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and season with salt.

Recipes courtesy of Naturally Nourished: Healthy, Delicious Meals Made with Everyday Ingredients by Sarah Britton