There’s a myth out there that salads only consist of rabbit food, aren’t filling and taste of nothing!
I love my salads and eat them all year round. One of the main reasons that I enjoy them so much, other than the fact they’re packed full of nutrition and delicious, is because that there’s no rules. You can throw all of your favourite ingredients together and create an easy and wholesome lunch or dinner.
My version of a perfect salad has to include protein, a grain, a good mix of different add-ins like roasted vegetables and an ass-kicking dressing that isn’t swamped in oil. Quinoa is one of my favourite grains to add to my salads because it’s nutritional dense and a great source of protein, making what could be a light salad more bulky. With that said, one of my salads for lunch last week encompassed all of these things and much more. Here’s the recipe…
- 1 courgette
- 1 red pepper
- 2 small red onions
- Mixed salad leaves
- 2 cups quinoa
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1/2 a pomegranate seeds and juice
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- coriander leaves (optional)
- salt and pepper
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Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
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Boil the quinoa in a saucepan until cooked, set aside and allow to cool.
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Meanwhile prepare the vegetables and cut them into chunks and add to a baking tray. Drizzle with melted coconut oil, salt and black pepper. Cook them in the oven for 20-25 minutes until tender, still with some bite. Set aside and allow to cool.
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When everything has cooled add the chickpeas to the quinoa and stir through. On a plate or in a bowl, sprinkle the quinoa on top of the mixed salad leaves and top with the roasted vegetables.
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To make the dressing squeeze out the seeds and juice from half of a pomegranate. Mix in the balsamic vinegar and seasonings and pour over the salad and sprinkle over some coriander leaves. Enjoy!
Non-vegan additions: If you have some feta or goat's cheese crumble some on top for even more flavour and texture.
Like I mentioned in the recipe notes I think that this would be great with some feta cheese or goats cheese crumbled on top for even more flavour or even a poached egg on top, but it still tastes amazing just the way it is. The peppery salad leaves with the lovely vegetables and tangy dressing really work.
Obviously you can easily change-up the vegetables and just throw in what you have available, salads are so versatile like that! Hopefully this is one salad that will help to dispel the myth that salads are boring and leave you feeling hungry an hour later. Bon appetite!
What are your favourite ingredients to add to a salad to make it more filling?
This looks wonderful Jemma, I like adding pineapples and mangoes to my salads. I have a sweet tooth and never miss the opportunity to add sweetness to a salad.
Thanks Charlene! 🙂
Looks delicious! I’m still undecided on pomegranate seeds, I eat them but not really sure I like them!! I do love pomegranate molasses though, that’s lovely as an alternative to balsamic as a dressing.
Hmmm pomegranate molasses sounds gorgeous. Will have to try and track some of that down!
Love healthy salads. Balsamic dressing is my favourite, oh and your bowl is soo pretty!
I love how balsamic seems to go with every salad out there.
This salad looks really delicious!
I love to add nuts, seeds and olive oil to make a salad more filling!
Thanks so much Lauren.
This seems like quite a nice festive recipe with the pomegranate in! I have to have beans in my salad and avocado!
It would definitely work for Christmas too. 🙂 I can’t believe how close we are getting to it now.
This looks gorgeous and I love all of the colours.
Thanks!
I love the recipe and I love your plate, so pretty! The colours look gorgeous.
I’m a big fan of adding in protein to salads, whether that’s chicken, chickpeas, bacon or cheese. I love beetroot in my salads too, I am obsessed!
Thanks Anna! I love colour in my food. It’s true that we eat with our eyes, well I seem to anyways. 🙂 Beetroot is just yummy!
This looks absolutely amazing!! I really need to learn photography!! I need major help!
Aww thank you! I’m trying to improve my photography so glad that it’s coming through on the blog. 🙂
This looks interesting girl I need me to try it out. I have jumped on the avocado bandwagon so this will be next
Hahaha! I can see that you are trying. 🙂
Interesting recipe! I’m not sure that I would have thought of these veggies with the pomegranate but it definitely sounds good!
It’s such a great combination! 🙂
Pomegranate and balsamic dressing sounds amazing. I love pomegranate.
It’s so good! I love it too and try and remember that it’s not just for Christmas.
Sounds like this salad has almost everything in it! I am always trying to find new, healthy ways to eat that also taste good. Thank you for the recipe!
I think I threw just about everything in it possible! 🙂
Your plates are so pretty. I am not much for quinoa, but I could go for those plates!
I adore pretty plates! 🙂
I just…can’t get into quinoa? I know! I just don’t know what is wrong with me…
Hahaha! I guess it’s not for everyone. 🙂
This was interesting. I wasn’t really aware of quinoa ’til last week (I know, terrible), but I wondered how I could use it. I’m definitely going to try this!
It’s such a versatile grain to use – hope you like it!
This looks SO GOOD. I’ve been looking for some new salad ideas- and putting pomegranate in sounds perfect!
Thanks Chelsea. They add a lovely juicy sweetness and crunch.
OMG this looks absolutely delicious!
Thank you! 🙂
I love the colours in this recipe Jemma, yum! Roasted veggies are one of my favourite things to have in a meal, they’re so versatile and flavourful.
I think roasting them really brings the flavour out more, so yummy!
This looks so tasty and beautifully colourful – not a fan of avocado, so I’d leave that out but I could swap them for something else easily!
Katie <3
Thanks! Luckily here is no avocado in this recipe! 🙂
Wow, this looks great. As a vegetarian I am always looking for some great salads that are not boring. I am definitely going to try this tonight as I do have most of these ingredients on deck. Definitely pinning this one. Can you tell me though, what is courgette?
Thrifting Diva
http://www.thriftingdiva.com
Thanks Ayana. Erm…a courgette is exactly the same thing as a zucchini. 🙂
So colorful! And I LOVE that plate too! Once again, you have another yummy looking recipe!
Thanks Alyssa! 🙂
Oh I love quinoa. This salad looks delicious. I’ve never had pomegranate balsamic dressing, that sounds soo yummy.
This sounds so flavorful! I wish my fam. liked quinoa a little more. 🙂
Lately, quinoa has been all the rage. I just learned about quinoa linguine and I have been dying to try it. I am looking for so many new recipes to try with quinoa and this looks delicious! I so have to try it!
Yum, this looks awesome! I love adding fruit and cheese to my salads also 🙂
Salads are always an easy to-go dinner for me. But for some reason I can’t get behind pom seeds. They always feel slimy!
Wow this looks delicious! What an interesting salad, I would have never thought to put these ingredients together, but they definitely look tasty!
I like how pretty pomegranate looks, but it is a faff to get ready!
I love adding apples for crunch, or avocado because that makes everything better!
It really is a faff, but so worth it for the taste. 🙂
I love salads, they are such a great way to get a lot of vegetables in a tasty way.
I love eating pomegranate but I hate the prep! I would love to try this though, maybe I’ll splurge and buy pom with the work already done!
I really need to get some quinoa and make a salad. I know it’s so good for you, but it’s just taking that dive and actually trying it!
yum, I love having quinoa salads!!!
This looks amazing! Yum, yum, yum! Thanks for the idea
This looks delicious! I’ve been trying to find new dressing recipes, I’ll have to try this next!