Roast baby carrot and quinoa salad with cumin and yoghurt dressing

Roast baby carrot salad with cumin and yoghurt dressing — a vibrant, make-ahead Christmas side that’s bold, aromatic and perfect for entertaining.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

150 g Greek style yoghurt
½ cup quinoa
250 ml chicken stock
12 baby carrots, scrubbed clean
400 g tin of chickpeas, drained and patted dry with paper towel
2 french shallots, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp ground cumin seeds
1 bunch of mint leaves, finely chopped
1 bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped
A large pinch of chilli flakes, optional
100 g pine nuts, roasted
Sea salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Place yoghurt in a muslin cloth (or even just a chux cloth) over a bowl and allow to sit for 1 hour to remove any excess liquid. We are looking for a labne-like consistency.
2. To cook the quinoa, place the quinoa and stock in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Allow to cool before adding to salad ingredients.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C. Drizzle baby carrots and chickpeas generously with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender and lightly browned and the chickpeas are golden. Allow to cool.
4. Put the eschalots, lemon juice and ground cumin in the food processor or nutribullet and blend to a smooth paste.
5. Once the yoghurt has drained, pour into a large bowl. Add the quinoa, eschalot-paste and stir to combine. Add the mint and coriander, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
6. Put the quinoa-salad in a large serving bowl, top with the roasted carrots and scatter with the chilli (if using) and pine nuts.