Sexy Summer Salad

Sexy Summer Salad

See… something named after you at last! πŸ˜› πŸ˜€

Ahhh… Summer! πŸ˜€ The longest day of the year has been and gone which means nights are drawing in already! WHAT… noooo!!! Well, the sun may have hidden behind the clouds today this week but that doesn’t mean we can’t have salad! Especially salad as good as this one! πŸ˜€ This sexy summer salad combines delicious quinoa with sizzled peppered mushrooms, succulent sweetcorn,Β fresh peas and sesame-maple sweet potato… top it with my tahini coconut yogurt dressing and some crunchy toasted seeds and you’ll definitely be back for seconds… and thirds! Oh yes! πŸ™‚

sexy summer salad (1)

Why not try this delicious salad?!

 

Is it easy?… well it takes a bit of time to make all the components but then you can throw it all together! πŸ˜€ This makes an excellent main meal, a base for something like spiced chickpeas, a great accompaniment to some tofu or an addition to a summer buffet with more summer salads. Win-win! Pack it in a lunchbox, take it on picnic, put it on the barbecue table or just have it for lunch! πŸ˜€

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Serve this salad as part of a picnic… we had it on the beach!

The lovely Deborah over at Urban Naturale is hosting her weekly Plant Based Potluck PartyΒ again this week (hope you had a great holiday Deborah) so this sexy summer salad is winging its way over there! Come on over and join us! πŸ˜€ Oh and my delicious coconut desert from the other week has made it into this weeks features! πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€

Sexy Summer Salad (Vegan & Free-From)

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Gather

  • 1 cup of quinoa
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 4-5 medium mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup sweetcorn
  • 1/2 cup fresh peas
  • 8-10 green olives (mine were marinated in basil)
  • Himalayan salt to taste
  • —————————————–
  • 3 tablespoons coconut yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried mint
  • ——————————————-
  • 2-3 tablespoons mixed seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)

Prepare

  1. Wash the quinoa in a sieve until the water runs clear. Add the quinoa to a saucepan, add the water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in nutritional yeast and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  2. Peel the sweet potato and chop into bite size dice. Heat the olive oil and balsamic in a frying pan, add the potato and cook until golden stirring occasionally. Add one tablespoon of maple syrup, stir in and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat off but leave the pan on the ring, add the remaining maple syrup, coat all the pieces of potato then sprinkle the sesame seeds over. Gently mix to coat evenly. Remove to a cold plate to cool.
  3. Melt the coconut oil and add the mushrooms. Cook until changing colour then add the black pepper. Stir through and continue to cook until all mushrooms are dark golden brown.
  4. Gently toss the sweet potato, mushrooms, sweetcorn, peas and olives with the quinoa. Season with salt to taste. Serve cold with tahini yogurt dressing and toasted seeds.
  5. For the dressing, mix together the yogurt, tahini, lime, chili and mint.
  6. Dry fry the seeds until they start to pop – immediately transfer to a cold plate to stop them cooking further.
  7. Serve the quinoa with a dollop of dressing and a sprinkle of seeds!
  8. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

  • This salad is designed to be eaten cold – store refrigerated (covered) for up to three days.
  • Best served with the dressing and seeds but these can be omitted.
  • Follow the sweet potato stage (stage 2) forΒ a delicious side dish – serve hot or cold.
  • Instead of nutritional yeast, stir through a half to one teaspoon of Cajun spice.
  • Add fresh salad vegetables such as sliced yellow peppers, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes or spring onions.
  • Stir the dressing all the way through instead of adding it on top – and the seeds too!
  • Spoon it into crispy lettuce and use them as wraps.
  • Serve on its own or with some tofu, chickpeas or falafel.

 

 

8 Comments

  • boowholefoods 29th June 2017 at 10:18

    This looks so colourful and delicious!

    Reply
    • Life Diet Health 29th June 2017 at 11:06

      Thank you…it most certainly is (was)! πŸ˜› What’s your favourite summer salad?

      Reply
      • boowholefoods 29th June 2017 at 13:24

        I like hearty salads with pasta and dressings and cheese ?

        Reply
        • Life Diet Health 29th June 2017 at 13:31

          Ooo.. I’ve not posted a pasta salad on here! I’ll have a play! πŸ™‚ Thank you!

          Reply
  • briaeatschia 29th June 2017 at 15:07

    This looks so delicious! The picnic also looks like a dream!

    Reply
    • Life Diet Health 29th June 2017 at 15:44

      Thanks Bria… very delicious! Lovely to see you over here at Life Diet Health ☺ Picnic was great too- so many yummy things ?

      Reply
  • Alice 8th March 2020 at 02:18

    Oh yum! I love using coconut oil for *everything*! And I love a cold salad on a hot summer day. My husband’s not so keen on quinoa, can you suggest any substitution that would work well? Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • Laurena@LifeDietHealth 8th March 2020 at 08:16

      Hello Alice and thanks for visiting Life Diet Health! πŸ™‚ We have made this with bulghur wheat, millet and corn couscous, so I know all of these work well. Alternatively you could just use rice (I’d suggest brown rice for a firmer bite). Let me know how you get on! Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

      Reply

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