Colourful Quinoa (Kinda) Cobb

I've been doing the vegan thing for almost three weeks now, but unfortunately I won’t be finishing off the month. Though I will continue to eat mainly plant-based from now on and most-likely well into the future, I am suffering! I feel faint despite taking all my vitamins and eating the rainbow. Plus, it’s been hard in this period that we’ve been in a yellow zone since there’s been the opportunity to dine-in at restaurants.

I wave the vegan white flag but I applaud everyone who continues to follow #Veganuary! It isn’t for the faint of heart and it takes a lot of commitment and planning ahead to ensure that your meals are delicious, nutritious and satisfying.

Because I’m still trying to keep it healthy, I combed through some Pinterest recipes and decided that a quinoa salad was just the thing I needed to keep momentum while also packing in some much-missed eggs and dairy. A great lunchtime dish, this salad is full of texture and flavour. Fresh mango adds a sweet component along with some colour alongside the purple onion, green avocado and red pepper.

I’d like to note that this isn’t really so much a Cobb salad as it is a quinoa or bean salad, however I liked the phonetics of saying colourful quinoa Cobb, so here we are. I’m a rebel and rule-breaker now, after all.

While Cobb salad tends to have greens, bacon, chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, tomatoes and cheese dressed in a light vinaigrette, this salad takes a healthier approach nixing the meat and adding beans instead, and swapping greens for quinoa.

If you want to make this salad vegan, simply omit the eggs and crumbled goat cheese. On the other hand, if you want to amp up the protein for the omnivores, then I’d recommend pan-searing a salmon filet and serving it alongside the salad.

Super simple to whip up and so satisfying, I encourage everyone to give this salad a try!

. . .

Colourful Quinoa (Kinda) Cobb

* Makes 4 servings *

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can chickpeas

• 1 can cannellini beans

• 1 mango, cubed

• 1 avocado, cubed

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1/2 medium-sized purple onion, diced

• 4 boiled eggs, quartered

• 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing

• 1 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup balsamic glaze

• 1/4 maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon grain mustard

• Sprinkle of salt, pepper and oregano

METHOD

1. In a mason jar, add the oil, balsamic, maple syrup, mustard and spices. Shake to combine and set aside.

2. Add beans, mango, avocado, quinoa, pepper and onion to a large bowl and stir.

3. Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine.

4. Plate salad and top with eggs and goat cheese.