Avocado, Chorizo & Quinoa Summer Salad

For me, this beautiful bowl of rainbow goodness is the perfect summer salad. The light, fluffy quinoa grains blend perfectly with the creamy avocado chunks, crunchy pepper bites, juicy kernels of corn, soft spinach and sizzling chorizo pieces. It's a healthy concoction of summer delight which is perfectly light, outrageously healthy and enough to satisfy any hungry tum. It's simply amazing! I am a big meat eater, so I added chorizo which is a hugely versatile sausage that is bursting with flavour. However, for a vegetarian alternative, the chorizo doesn't have to be added. You can enjoy it on it's own as or have it as a side to a meal of your choice. I think it would compliment a juicy, herb marinated chicken breast perfectly or be the perfect addition to a summer BBQ with the family and friends. Trust me, they'll love it. 

You may have noticed me using quinoa a lot recently. I think it's the most awesome grain which is incredibly delicious, insanely healthy and has a beautiful subtle nutty flavour to it. Quinoa is a high quality protein which contains the nine essential animo acids and therefore makes it a complete protein   that is equal to all meat and dairy. It is gluten-free and non fattening with only 172 calories per 1/4 dry cup - 24 of the calories are from protein and only 12 from sugars, the rest are complex carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats. It's packed with essential vitamins and minerals and contains almost twice as much fibre as most other grains, which aids effective digestion and keeps you feeling fuller for longer, while helping to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol. 

Serves 2-3 

100g quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

3 spring onions, chopped

1/2 cup sweetcorn

1/2 cup peas 

1 avocado

1 medium bag of fresh spinach or 6 frozen spinach balls

salt & pepper to taste

100g/2 mini chorizo sausages

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 

2 fresh green chillies

olive oil

Method

- Add 2 cups of water to the quinoa in a pan and bring to boil. Then simmer for on a medium to low heat for 12 minutes. 

- Put on a large pan of water, bring it to boil and season with salt. Add the peas, spinach & sweetcorn and boil for 3-4 minutes. 

- Dice the chorizo sausage, deseed and finely chop the chillies and fry on a medium to low heat for 5-6 minutes or until crisp. When ready, empty onto a kitchen towel to remove any fatty oils. 

- After the quinoa has been simmering for 12 minutes, add the diced red bell peppers, seasoning & chopped spring onions. Stir the quinoa for a further 2-3 minutes then empty into a large, presentable bowl. 

- Strain the spinach, peas and sweetcorn and add them to the quinoa along with the chorizo and green chillies. Slice up the avocado into chunks & chop the tomatoes into quarters then add to the quinoa. Mix all the ingredients together in the large bowl, drizzle over with a little olive oil and season to taste.

Bon appetit!