Avocado, Fava and Quinoa Salad

(serves 6)

1 cup quinoa
450 g shelled fava beans or edamame (fresh or frozen)
2 medium lemons
2 small ripe avocados
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bunches (breakfast) radishes, halved lengthways or thinly sliced
1 cup purple radish cress (or small purple basil leaves)
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. chili flakes
Salt and black pepper.

1 Place the quinoa in a saucepan with plenty of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 9 minutes. Drain in a fine sieve, rinse under cold water and leave to dry.

2 Throw the fresh fava beans into a pan of boiling water, bring back to a boil and immediately drain in a colander. Blanch frozen shelled fava beans in boiling water for 6 minutes and drain in a colander afterwards. Refresh with cold water and leave to dry. Then gently press each bean with your fingers to remove the skins; discard these.

3 Take the lemons and use a small sharp knife to slice off the top and base. Stand each one on a chopping board and cut down the sides, following the natural curve, to remove the skin and white pith. Over a large mixing bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the individual segments into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl with the segments.

4 Peel and stone the avocados. Slice thinly, then add to the bowl and toss to cover in the lemon juice.

5 Once the quinoa is dry, transfer it to the bowl. Add the fava beans, garlic, radishes, half the radish cress, the cumin, olive oil, chili flakes and some salt and pepper.

Toss very gently, without breaking the avocado. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you wish.

6 Plate and garnish with the remaining cress.

My Tips:

It may be too much lemon in this salad, so you can avoid adding lemon and even use less lemon juice, especially if the salad is meant for children as well.
Instead of radish cress or purple basil you can use green basil.
Make sure you let cooked quinoa dry. Don’t mix hot quinoa with other ingredients: it has to cool down. Try to add just enough water in order to cook quinoa, so that you don’t have to drain it and rinse under cold water afterwards. It may cause quinoa to form lumps.
Spices are most important in this salad, so make sure to add everything that’s needed and enjoy! :)