Roasted Vegetable & Quinoa Salad (Seasonal April Recipe)

April weather can be moody. But whenever we can we tend to sit outside with a picnic or BBQ. With the arrival of spring, eating the rainbow - seasonally and locally - is becoming easier and easier.

So now is a great time to find your local regenerative farmer/ farmer’s market to get the best quality seasonal veg. Check out the "Become a Sustainable Eater - By Going Local & Seasonal" post for guidance.

What's "In" In April?

So, what's in season this month? According to vegsoc.uk it's:

• Spring Greens

• Kale

• Rocket

• Artichoke

• Spinach

• Spring Onions

• Watercress

• Sorrel

• Chicory

• Morel Mushrooms

• New Potatoes

• Parsnips

• Carrots

• Radishes

• Rhubarb

• Beetroot

With this month's seasonal vegetables here in the UK I want to share a flexible salad recipe that's a hit for any outdoor occasion. You can obviously include as many of the above in your salad as you want, but here is a simple and yummy combination.

Roasted Vegetable & Quinoa Salad Ingredients

Serves 6

• 4 large carrots, roughly chopped

• 1 large parsnip, roughly chopped

• 6 artichoke hearts, halved

• 2 bunches of spring onions (equals c. 12), chopped

• 3 large beetroot, well scrubbed and chopped into smaller chunks or wedges

• 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

• a handful of fresh seasonal herbs, such as sorrel

• fresh leaves, such as rocket, spring greens and watercress, to serve

• sea salt and black pepper, to serve

For the Quinoa:

• 250g quinoa

• 250ml bone broth or water

For the Kale & Brazil Nut Pesto:

• 12 Brazil nuts

• 2 garlic cloves

• 200g (3 large handfuls) of fresh kale

• 300ml extra virgin olive oil

• 4tbsp lemon juice or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Roasted Vegetable & Quinoa Salad Preparation

1. Rinse the quinoa or soak it overnight (improves digestibility).

2. Preheat the oven to fan 200°C.

3. Put the chopped vegetables in a single layer on a large roasting tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a dollop of ghee or coconut oil. Scatter over the herbs. Roast for 30–40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender (pierce with a knife to check). Halfway through the roasting time, use a wooden spatula to turn everything.

4. Meanwhile, make the pesto. Blitz everything together in a food processor or with a hand blender (the more nuts you add, the thicker and creamier your pesto will be, but if you want it thinner, add more oil and lemon juice). Alternatively, grab a sharp knife and finely chop the garlic, kale and nuts, then whisk with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste.

5. Bring the broth (or water) to the boil in a pan, add the drained quinoa and cook for 12 minutes.

6. Combine the quinoa and roasted veg in a big serving bowl, toss in the pesto and the fresh salad leaves.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments and please remember to tag me (@ninafischernutrition) in any food prep pics you post x