Super Salad

Is it officially salad season yet? If not, it must be getting fairly close.

I was going to call this particular creation Super Green Salad, but then I realised that I had added things that were definitely not green, so . . . it may have been a bit misleading, but what, I hear you ask makes it ‘super’?

Well . . . number one the dressing, which is more of a vinaigrette. It is so easy to make and takes it from boring to interesting in one swoop of a bowl. And you can make it in advance.

Two – it is packed full of tasty things, most of which are green, and there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to what you throw in this. The ingredients below are more of a guideline really. Don’t like something? Leave it out and add in more of something else. Apart from the toasted pumpkin seeds, they are essential. Because of the crunch.

Three – the quinoa. Adding some interest and extra protein and all that good stuff. If you don’t have any to hand or don’t want to cook any then some left over rice will work too (especially if it is a mix of basmati, wild and red).

Four – you can make the whole thing in advance so it is great for work lunches. Just keep the vinaigrette separate until you want to eat it (otherwise you will have soggy leaves come lunch time and no one wants that).

Five – it is perfect for those times when you feel that veggies / anything green has been a bit lacking from your daily munchings. One bowl of this and you will feel as if everything has been rebalanced. Or at least be on the way to being rebalanced. Which is exactly what it did for me.

Five pro points and not one con – see, it really is a super salad!