Greek inspired, I often suggest clients use spices and herbs and international cuisine to inspire healthier dishes. I love how colorful, crunchy and hydrating this salad becomes. Parsley is rich in vitamin C, pumpkin seeds in zinc and red peppers are rich in quercetin, all are fantastic during the spring to support our immune system and seasonal allergies. I have added fiber and plant protein rich quinoa, pumpkin seeds and broccoli, and the optional protein from sheep’s feta. This makes delicious lunch leftovers which is fantastic for shelter in place.
Makes enough for about 3 – 4 servings, depending if it is a main dish or side.
Ingredients
1 red pepper
1 cucumber
1 tomato or ½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 head or parsley
Handful of fresh oregano
¼ onion (can be a shallot, Bermuda onion, red onion or scallions)
1 cup broccoli, blanched
1 cup cooked quinoa, pinch of salt
4 tbsp. pumpkin seeds (or marcona almonds)
For the dressing:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. capers
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, optional
Optional, sheep’s feta
Directions
To begin, grab your biggest salad bowl. Chop the cucumber, tomato, pepper into bite size pieces. Finely chop the parsley, onion and oregano. Toss in the salad bowl with cooked quinoa and blanched broccoli florets. In a small bowl or mason jar, mix the salad dressing together. You can chop the capers down, and even add olives if you wish. Toss all of the ingredients together, sprinkling the pumpkin seeds on top.
