It’s the time of year when healthy eating can take a back seat. From dining out to festive feasts, sometimes the vegetable intake can decrease and we’re left feeling sluggish and bloated after indulging and overeating (on the not-so-good stuff).
This salad is a super light and fresh addition to any meal and is quick to whip up. It’s a great one to take along to potluck dinners or BBQ’s – knowing that you’ll have something healthy to munch on if all else fails. It’s impressively tasty too, so no need to worry about complaints from your loved ones.

Ingredients:
Salad:
1 1/2 cup organic quinoa
2 golden kumara (sweet potato)
1 can organic chick peas
2 tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1 courgette or cucumber (roughly chopped)
1 large handful fresh parsley (roughly chopped)
1 large handful dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice only)
1 large handful pistachio nuts
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup boiling water (to mix)
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 lemon juiced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp himalayan pink salt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees bake.
2. Rinse quinoa under cold water and then place in a pot with 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat right down, cover and simmer for the remaining 10 – 15 minutes. It is cooked once the “tails” show and the liquid is absorbed.
3. Scrub or peel your kumara and chop into small cubes. Mix in a bowl with the cinnamon and a dash of olive oil. Place on a baking tray and bake until golden (about 30 minutes).
4. Drain the chickpeas and then mix in a bowl with the paprika, cumin and a little salt. Place these into a pan and fry off until the chickpeas are slightly crunchy and warm.
5. To prepare the salad, place the cooked quinoa into a bowl and add the tomato and courgette. Once the kumara and chickpeas are done, add these. Give the salad a good mix.
6. Sprinkle the parsley, cranberries and pistachios on top.
7. Lastly, to make the dressing, add all ingredients to a jar and give it a good shake up. Only add as much boiling water you need to to create a smooth silky dressing. Pour this over your salad.
8. Right before serving, give everything a good mix up to combine.
Delicious!