Carrot, tomato & chicken quinoa salad

Prep 30 mins | Cook 20 mins | Serves 4-6

Spoon this salad into mason jars or airtight containers, so it’s ready for a take-away lunch or a picnic.

1 cup white quinoa
1 small barbecued chicken
2 purple carrots
1 orange carrot
375g mixed baby tomatoes (heirloom), quartered or halved
3 green onions (shallots), trimmed and thinly sliced
½ cup small mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
½ cup shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
Lemon wedges, to serve

Lemon, tahini & yoghurt dressing:
½ cup natural Greek-style yoghurt
1 tbs tahini
¼ cup lemon juice

Step 1 Place quinoa in a sieve and rinse in cold water. Combine quinoa and 2 cups water in medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is cooked and water has been absorbed. Place quinoa into a large bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2 Meanwhile, shred chicken flesh, discarding skin and bones. Peel carrots. Using a julienne peeler or knife, shred carrots into long thin strips. Plunge carrots into a bowl of iced water. Stand for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry carrots. Add chicken, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, mint, parsley and pistachios to quinoa. Toss to combine.

Step 3 To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until well combined. Drizzle dressing over salad, gently toss and serve with lemon wedges.

Good for you ... Medley Tomatoes

A very good source of vitamin C which contributes to the normal functioning of the body’s immune system.

Provides potassium which may help balance the sodium from salt.

A source of dietary fibre which helps the normal function of the intestine.

Tomatoes are the richest food source of lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family. Research suggests that lycopene may play a role in the normal health of the prostate gland. The redder the tomato, the higher its lycopene content. Rich red tomatoes are also a source of beta carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body and is needed for vision.