Broccoli, sweet potato & tahini salad
Salad season is back! I feel ready to say goodbye to soups now! Or may be I’m getting over excited as it’s sunny AND warm today. Feels really good after a long Covid lockdown winter and now we can have friends in our gardens, life just feels that bit better. I’ve missed seeing my family and friends so much!
This was a hastily put together salad based on what I fancied last night. It was a rare evening when everyone else had either leftovers or a packet pie (yes, they’re my lifeline some days) to eat and I was left to my own devices. So I made a salad with roasted vegetables, harissa spices, quinoa and tahini dressing, which I enjoyed so much. I took the rest to eat lunch with a friend in the park and added some falafels and pitta, which felt like a real treat!
* If you want to make the salad vegan, just leave out the feta and top with a few toasted seeds.
Ingredients
Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side
1 red onion, sliced
100g tenderstem broccoli
1 medium sweet potato, 1½cm cubes
1 tsp dried harissa spice blend
120g quinoa
A handful of coriander leaves
100g feta, crumbled (optional)
Dressing
3 tbsp tahini
5-6 tbsp water
Juice of ¼ lemon
¼ small clove garlic
Pinch of sea salt
Method
Preheat the 200ºc. Mix approx 1 tbsp olive oil and the harissa into the onions and sweet potatoes and roast for 15 minutes.
Turn the onions and potatoes, then add the broccoli to the tray and drizzle with a little oil. Roast for 15 minutes and then set aside to cool a little.
While the vegetables are roasting, rinse and cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions - I usually rinse it 3-4 times so the water runs pretty clear and then simmer for 20 minutes.
Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients in a jar and mixing well. Just add the water slowly until you get the right consistency - tahini sometimes varies with the amount of water it needs to let it down.
Drain the quinoa and allow to cool, or run it under some cold water if you’re in a hurry and then drain again.
Layer the ingredients, including the dressing, in a large bowl or platter, finishing with feta and coriander on top.