This is a beautiful summery salad that is great eaten alone or to accompany dishes like tagines or roasted vegetables. It is a protein powerhouse for energising, stabilising blood sugar levels and rich in folate; an important nutrient for DNA synthesis and cell repair.

First you need to start by pickling the shallots with good quality red wine vinegar and sumac – a beautiful earthy Middle Eastern spice that is a key ingredient in my pantry.

If you have started sprouting mung beans and lentils, this is a fantastic way to eat them – coated in a zingy Dijon mustard vinaigrette and the quinoa and green leaves.

Ingredients

5 small shallots, sliced into 1 cm-thick rings

1 teaspoon Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon raw cane sugar (or coconut sugar)

1 tablespoon sumac

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

200g red quinoa (or red and white mixed)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ clove of crushed garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoon olive oil

150g rocket or watercress or baby spinach

A handful sprouted mung beans and lentils

Fresh chives (if they have flowers, then fantastic!)

Method

1. Place the shallots into a small bowl with 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well and set aside for 5 minutes before adding the sugar, sumac and vinegar. Mix again and set aside for another 30 minutes.

2. In the meantime bring a small pan of water to the boil and add the quinoa. Return to the boil, then cook for 11 minutes. Drain, refresh well under cold water and set aside until completely dry. I find the best way is to spread it out on a baking tray and rake it with a fork.

3. To make the dressing, place the lemon juice, garlic and mustard in a bowl with good pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix continually as you slowly add the olive oil.

4. Strain the shallots and put them into a large mixing bowl, along with a little bit of the pickling liquid. Add the quinoa, rocket, mung beans and chives, then pour over the dressing and serve.

Bon Provecho!

Love Tess x