Quinoa and bean salad

Combining fresh veggies with a tangy mustard, this quinoa and bean salad is rich in protein, vitamins and fibre. Bursting with flavour, it’s a balanced and nutritious option for diabetics.

Ingredients

For salad:

• Tomatoes, 1 cup, chopped
• Quinoa, ¾ cup (130g)
• Black-eyed beans, ½ cup (100g)
• Red onion, ¼ cup, finely chopped
• Fresh parsley, ¼ cup, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 yellow or red capsicum, finely chopped
• Fresh mint leaves (optional), ¼ cup, finely chopped

For dressing:

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Lemon juice, 2 tbsp
• Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp
• Dijon mustard/mustard sauce, ½ tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Method

1. Either soak the black beans in a large bowl overnight (8-12 hours), or boil them in a pressure cooker (15-20 minutes).
2. Drain the soaked beans, then transfer them to a pot on a stove. Let the beans boil for ~30 minutes, or until they’re tender (cooking time may vary depending on the soaking method used).
3. Rinse the quinoa under cold water. Then in a medium pan add the quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool.
5. While the quinoa cools, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard sauce, minced garlic, salt and pepper to make the dressing. Set the dressing aside.
6. Take a large salad bowl and combine the cooked quinoa, beans, tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, red onion, and fresh herbs (parsley, and mint if using).
7. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until well mixed.

Nutritional information

Per serving:

Calories - 560kcal

Fat - 22g

Carbohydrate - 50g

Protein - 25g

Sodium - 721mg

Sugar - 12g

Fibre - 16g