SOUL BOWL
Talented chef Nadia Li (nadialim.com), from New Zealand, provided us with the inspiration for this winning ensemble. It’s her recipe we have adapted here to create a fresh salad bowl packed to the hilt with nutritious ingredients. Comprised of two salads – a shiitaki and kale salad and a quinoa salad with carrot, beetroot and tomato. Served with cashew cream, avocado, sprouts, toasted seeds and sliced radishes.
Although we like to present it altogether as a bowl, you could serve the various components separately to make a lovely summer spread.
ingredients
QUINOA SALAD
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 litre (1¾ pints) water
150g (5½oz) quinoa
pinch of salt
200g (7oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
100g (3½oz) peeled carrot, grated
100g (3/oz) peeled beetroot, grated
50g (1/oz) pitted dried dates, chopped
50g (1oz) flat leaf parsley, chopped
40g (1/oz) mint, chopped
SHIITAKI AND KALE SALAD WITH TAMARI DRESSING
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
150g (5½oz) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
splash of light olive oil
150g (5½oz) baby kale or regular kale stripped of its stems
CASHEW CREAM
200g (7oz) cashew nuts, soaked overnight in cold water or for a few hours in hot water
10g (¼oz) nutritional yeast flakes
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of chilli flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of achiote paste
½ tablespoon sea salt flakes
about 100ml (3½fl oz) water
TO SERVE
50g (1¾oz) mixed toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
1½ tablespoons mixed toasted black and white sesame seeds
½ ripe Hass avocado per person
30g (1oz) sprouts (we use China Rose radish sprouts)
200g (7oz) radishes, thinly sliced
method
QUINOA SALAD
1. Mix together the agave syrup, cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon water and olive oil to make a dressing and set aside.
2. Bring the measured water to the boil in a saucepan and add the quinoa and salt, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The quinoa should still have some bite to it.
3. Drain the quinoa in a sieve and leave to air-dry for 10-15 minutes until it has dried out, then fluff up slightly with a fork and leave to finish cooling.
4. Once cool, add to a bowl with the remaining salad ingredients and the dressing and mix together well.
SHIITAKI & KALE SALAD WITH TAMARI DRESSING
1. Mix together the tamari, measured water, sesame oil and rice vinegar to make a dressing and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
3. Toss the shiitake mushrooms in the oil, spread out on a baking tray and cook for 8-10 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. Add the shiitake to a bowl with the baby kale and the dressing and mix together well. If using regular kale, you will first need to chiffonade the leaves – stack them, roll them and then finely slice them. These leaves are not as tender as the baby kale, so will need to be firmly massaged with the dressing and set aside for 15-20 minutes, then massaged with the dressing again before serving.
CASHEW CREAM
1. Drain the cashew nuts, put in a blender with all the remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth. You can add more water if you prefer a thinner texture.
2. Store in a clean airtight jar or other container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week.
TO ASSEMBLE
1. Place an equal portion of each salad in a bowl, sprinkling the quinoa salad with the toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and the shiitake and kale salad with the toasted black and white sesame seeds.
2. Peel and slice each avocado half, then add to the salad along with the cashew cream, sprouts and radishes.
QUINOA SALAD
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 litre (1¾ pints) water
150g (5½oz) quinoa
pinch of salt
200g (7oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
100g (3½oz) peeled carrot, grated
100g (3/oz) peeled beetroot, grated
50g (1/oz) pitted dried dates, chopped
50g (1oz) flat leaf parsley, chopped
40g (1/oz) mint, chopped
SHIITAKI AND KALE SALAD WITH TAMARI DRESSING
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
150g (5½oz) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
splash of light olive oil
150g (5½oz) baby kale or regular kale stripped of its stems
CASHEW CREAM
200g (7oz) cashew nuts, soaked overnight in cold water or for a few hours in hot water
10g (¼oz) nutritional yeast flakes
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of chilli flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of achiote paste
½ tablespoon sea salt flakes
about 100ml (3½fl oz) water
TO SERVE
50g (1¾oz) mixed toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
1½ tablespoons mixed toasted black and white sesame seeds
½ ripe Hass avocado per person
30g (1oz) sprouts (we use China Rose radish sprouts)
200g (7oz) radishes, thinly sliced
QUINOA SALAD
1. Mix together the agave syrup, cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon water and olive oil to make a dressing and set aside.
2. Bring the measured water to the boil in a saucepan and add the quinoa and salt, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The quinoa should still have some bite to it.
3. Drain the quinoa in a sieve and leave to air-dry for 10-15 minutes until it has dried out, then fluff up slightly with a fork and leave to finish cooling.
4. Once cool, add to a bowl with the remaining salad ingredients and the dressing and mix together well.
SHIITAKI & KALE SALAD WITH TAMARI DRESSING
1. Mix together the tamari, measured water, sesame oil and rice vinegar to make a dressing and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
3. Toss the shiitake mushrooms in the oil, spread out on a baking tray and cook for 8-10 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. Add the shiitake to a bowl with the baby kale and the dressing and mix together well. If using regular kale, you will first need to chiffonade the leaves – stack them, roll them and then finely slice them. These leaves are not as tender as the baby kale, so will need to be firmly massaged with the dressing and set aside for 15-20 minutes, then massaged with the dressing again before serving.
CASHEW CREAM
1. Drain the cashew nuts, put in a blender with all the remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth. You can add more water if you prefer a thinner texture.
2. Store in a clean airtight jar or other container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week.
TO ASSEMBLE
1. Place an equal portion of each salad in a bowl, sprinkling the quinoa salad with the toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and the shiitake and kale salad with the toasted black and white sesame seeds.
2. Peel and slice each avocado half, then add to the salad along with the cashew cream, sprouts and radishes.
