Fresh summer salad: recipe by

Fresh summer salad

With Evelyn Joyce, Balance + Glo

The team at Isle of Wight online wellness platform Balance + Glo are passionate about inspiring their members to eat with the seasons and support local producers – for the benefit of the planet and our health.

The official asparagus season is short – from May until the end of June – so make the most of this delicious seasonal produce with a simple, fresh early summer salad created by co-Founder and Head of Fitness Evelyn Joyce. Using ribbons of raw asparagus to showcase its crisp, earthy flavour and paired with a zingy lime and ginger dressing, this dish is the perfect light lunch or BBQ side dish.

Serves 2 as a lunch or 4-6 as a side Photo credit: Evelyn Joyce

Ingredients

Salad 160g asparagus (approximately 10 medium spears) 1 medium courgette 5 radishes, finely sliced 80g frozen peas 100g quinoa (I like to use the tricolour to add extra colour to the dish) A few sprigs of fresh mint A handful of lightly toasted almonds Dressing 10g fresh ginger, grated 1 clove of garlic, grated 1 lime, juiced 1 tbsp sesame oil Salt and pepper to taste Method

Rinse the quinoa under cold water (this will help to remove some of the bitterness). Place in a pan with 300ml of cold water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 10-15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the grains have softened.

Whilst the quinoa is cooking, use a vegetable peeler to finely slice the asparagus and courgette into long strips. Place in a bowl and add the radishes.

Place the peas in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for three minutes. Once cooked, rinse under cold water and then add to the bowl of vegetables. In a small bowl add all the dressing ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and, using your hands, gently toss the mixture, until they are evenly coated. Decant the quinoa onto a large serving plate and gently top with the vegetable mixture. Top with toasted almonds and sprigs of mint.