Recipe: Super shoots and seeds salad.

Yes I know, I know, salad - in Autumn? (and a tricky one to say, at that!)? Well it does make use of the delicious apples that are falling now and it also makes a great 'sprinkle' for a hearty soup... so...

Omegas 3, 6 and 9 are nutrients that are vital to human health and well-being. 3 and 6 cannot be synthesised by the human body and therefore have to be obtained by diet. Typically on an omnivorous diet people are told to obtain Omega 3 by eating oily fish, eggs and grass-fed meat; Omega 6 by eating poultry and eggs.

But the great news is that there are a whole host of delicious plant-based sources of these fabulous 'fats' - grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils. They'll help to keep your body's cells ticketyboo, help you to absorb other vitamins and keep your metabolism thriVing.

This fresh vibrant salad will just give you a little boost, some added protein and some peace of mind that your yummy Vegan diet is also a nutritional powerhouse. Enjoy!

Chantal xx

super shoots n seeds salad with apple & marinated tofu

[Serves 2+ as a main or 4+ as a side.]

Gather:

200g (approx) mixed sprouted seeds (such as soya, aduki, chickpea, radish, mung, alfalfa) [I used a 180g pack Good4U lentil, pea and bean shoots from Sainsburys - which was plenty for 2 plus leftovers] 

1/2 pack marinated tofu pieces* [I use Cauldron brand]

70g dried apricots - cut into quarters [I opt for organic (minus the sulphites) - Crazy Jack are good]

50g walnuts roughly chopped

30g pumpkin seeds

30g sunflower seeds

30g sesame seeds

Juice + zest of 1 lemon

1-2 tbsp of Vegan Omega-rich oil [I use Biona 3-6-9]

Pinch of salt [I use Himalayan Rose Pink Rock Salt - expensive, but used sparingly & worth it]

Freshly ground black pepper

2 fresh apples - cored and finely chopped [I use Braeburns for crispness & sweet, sharp flavour]

*optional addition

Create:

1.  There's not much to this one. Add all of the shoots, seeds, apricots & lemon zest to a large bowl and mix to combine.

2.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.

3.  Chop the apple and add to the mix along with the tofu pieces. Stir to combine.

4.  Tadah!

Enjoy!

This dish is great served fresh but will also keep well in the fridge for a day because of the lemon juice. If you want to add a greater carb element simply add some toast on the side. It would also be delicious with grains such as buckwheat and flavoured couscous.

leftovers as silky thai-spiced soup 'sprinkles'

Cooks tips: Save some to sprinkle on soups (like I did with this Thai spiced butternut, sweet potato soup below) or larger mixed green salads. Keep these three seeds - pumpkin, sesame, sunflower in your larder at all times & throw handfuls onto mueslis, cereals, porridge, cookies, loaves, coleslaws, salads, steamed veggies, pastas and crumbles. The oil is strong flavoured, but good for drizzling onto salads too.

For more info on Omegas please see here, 3 here, and 6 here.