This nutritious salad tastes best warm. It’s the perfect accompaniment with a protein of your choice or delicious on it’s own for lunch or dinner. Quinoa is an ideal pregnancy food, especially during the second trimester when iron and protein rich foods are needed to nourish you and your baby.

Ingredients

5oog fresh green beans, trimmed

200g uncooked quinoa, soaked and rinsed

8 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

1 handful raisins

100g hazelnuts, toasted

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

Dressing

4 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp honey or rice malt syrup

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).

Lightly steam the green beans in a pot of boiling water. Strain into a sieve and rinse under cold water.

Place the soaked and rinsed quinoa into a pot with double the amount of water and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until you can see small tails on the quinoa.

Add the carrots to a lined baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for 7 minutes or until the edges begin to curl.

To make the dressing, add all the ingredients to a jar and shake well.

To assemble, add the beans, cooked quinoa, roasted carrots, spring onion, seeds and raisins to a large salad bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.

Top with toasted hazelnuts and serve warm or cold.

*This recipe was inspired by the wholesome folks at Green Kitchen Stories.