quinoa, kale and black bean salad
This is a lovely hearty salad with lots of protein so great if you need to refuel after a bout of exercise. Quinoa is a great vegetarian protein source as it contains all the amino acids needed by the body. The dressing packs a spicy punch with lots of delicious lime and ginger.
ingredients
serves 2-3
1 cup quinoa
1 400g tin of black beans
4 large handfuls of kale, shredded
large handful of fresh coriander
2 large tomatoes, chopped
For the dressing
Juice of 2 limes
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated
large pinch of chilli flakes
method
prep time: 20 mins
Place the quinoa in a saucepan and add double the quantity of water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked.
While the quinoa is cooking, rinse the black beans and add to a salad bowl.
Shred the kale and add to the salad bowl with the coriander and tomatoes.
For the dressing add all the ingredients to a jar and shake to mix.
When the quinoa is cooked add to the salad bowl and mix in the dressing.
the health boost tip
The starch in the black beans comes in the form of resistant starch, which means that it doesn’t impact our blood sugar levels like other forms of starch. The black beans are broken down by bacteria in the large intestine which result in an increased supply of fuel for the cells of our large intestine (short chain fatty acids). Black beans also provide us with plenty of zinc, which is often low in modern diets.
