Zesty Basil & Lemon Quinoa

My friend Mia introduced me to this salad & it was an aha moment for me! Before tasting this salad my reference of quinoa was always pretty boring. But no more. This salad – by the Delish Sisters – is life-changing! Naturally, the word ‘zesty’ in the name also convinced me that this dish was the ultimate match for me.

*I cook my quinoa in a good vegetable stock for added flavour.

*I used ZZ2 Al Monde almonds in this recipe. These almonds are locally grown & much crunchier, tastier and fresher than their imported counterparts. What’s not to love about these local, fresh, eco-friendly packaged almonds? Find them at National Presh Produce Markets in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban & Cape Town. These local produced almonds are so good for you & just as good for our economy.

Serves 4 as a main or 8 as a side

4x 250ml (4 cups) cooked & cooled quinoa

2 cloves garlic

Zest of 1 lemon

125ml (1/2 cup) lemon juice

250ml (1 cup) chopped fresh basil

15ml (1 Tbsp) sumac

15ml (1 Tbsp) honey or maple syrup

30ml (2 Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil

Salt & black pepper

125ml (1/2 cup) roasted whole almonds, roughly chopped

90ml (6 Tbsp) tahini paste

1 clove garlic, minced

125ml (1/2 cup) water

60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice

5ml (1tsp) honey or maple syrup

Salt & black pepper

1. Place the quinoa, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, sumac, honey or maple syrup, & olive oil in a mixing bowl. Mix well to ensure all the wonderful flavours infuse into the quinoa. Taste and season as you please, then set aside.

2. In another bowl, mix the tahini, garlic, water, lemon juice & honey or maple syrup, then season to taste.

3. Plate up the salad, sprinkle over the tahini drizzle & top with roasted almonds.