Today I have the following idea: a hearty kidney bean and quinoa warm salad wrapped in a homemade flatbread, served with a delicious and tangy avocado sauce. It’s a vegan dish, extremely tasty and very nutritious. It is a very satisfying salad, packed with protein, vitamins and healthy fats.

Warm kidney bean and quinoa salad 

Ingredients (for 4 generous servings):

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 fresh chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 50ml red wine
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 250g kidney beans (canned)
• 125g corn (canned)
• juice from ½ a lime
• 450ml vegetable broth
• ½ cup of uncooked quinoa
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Saute the vegetables (onion, carrot, celery and chilli) in olive oil on medium heat until the onion is translucent (about 10 minutes).
2. Add minced garlic, cumin and thyme and cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally (about 30 seconds).
3. Add the wine and cook until the liquid is evaporated.
4. Add the canned tomatoes and 200ml broth, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to minimum and cook for about 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, add the kidney beans and the corn, cover with a lid and cook for another 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. Rinse and drain ½ cup of quinoa, transfer to a saucepan, cover with 1 cup of hot vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the temperature to minimum and cook for 15 minutes.
7. After 15 minutes, remove the quinoa from the heat (still covered) and leave aside for another 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
8. Stir together the bean mixture and the cook quinoa and season with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Avocado sauce

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 fresh chilli
• zest and juice from ½ of a lime
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Deseed the chilli and chop it finely.
2. Using a fork, puree the avocado and mix immediately with lime juice. Add lime zest, chilli and salt and mix until smooth.

Source: www.cookieandkate.com