AN IDEAL SUMMER SALAD: QUINOA, FENNEL & SWEET POTATO SALAD

With summer in sight, Executive Head Chef at Sopwell House, Gopi Chandran reveals his recipe for a delicious and nutritious salad that will get you starting the season right.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large sweet potato, diced
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs, cut lengthways into ¼ inch thick slices
  • Malden sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 20ml fresh lemon juice
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 200g quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 red chilli, chopped and deseeded
  • 10g fresh coriander, chopped
  • 10g fresh mint, chopped
  • 15g fresh dill, chopped
  • Seeds from ½ a small pomegranate

METHOD

  1. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook for around 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is just tender and lightly golden. Add the lemon juice, and sugar. Stir through and cook for a further minute. Season with salt and pepper and set to one side.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Drizzle the sweet potato with olive oil, sea salt and cumin. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, and then set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, bring the quinoa and 700ml water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and reduce to a low simmer for around 10 minutes until the quinoa is cooked. Drain and return to the pan. Let the quinoa sit in the pan covered for 15 minutes, before fluffing with a fork and transferring to a large bowl.
  4. Remove the peel and white pith from the lemon. Cut between the membranes to release the segments. Discard the membranes and roughly chop. Add the chopped lemon with its juices to the cooked quinoa along with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and stir. Add the fennel mixture, sweet potato, chilli, and herbs. Gently incorporate and season with salt and pepper. Transfer salad to a bowl or platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Like that? You'll love this...

The Latest...

Lifestyle Guides

How To Choose A Wedding Venue Based On Your Dress

Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting times in a person's life, but it can also be overwhelming. With so many decisions to make, from choosing the perfect dress...
Editorial Team

Skint Students: Making Your Money Go Further In London

Who’d be a student in London, hey? Well, despite it being the third most expensive city for...

Summer’s ‘Ear At Last! How To Protect Your Ears...

Summer is a season filled with outdoor activities, swimming, and sun-soaked adventures. While we slather on sunscreen...

How To Spend 48 Hours In Larnaca, Cyprus: The...

Where the Aegean meets the Eastern Mediterranean, Larnaca sprawls along Cyprus's sun-bleached southern coast, each palm-lined street...

Print Perfect: The Summer Patterns Making Waves This Season

Summer fashion has always been about bold statements and carefree expression, but this season's print landscape is...