• 1 cup quinoa
• 12 cherry tomatoes , halved
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives , halved
• Sprigs fresh mint , finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar
• 2 avocados
• 1 pinch sea salt
• Black pepper
• Lightly toasted pumpkin seeds

Rinse and drain the quinoa and combine in a small saucepan with 2 cups water and sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Set aside until it cools.

Prepare the veggies: Lightly blanch the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces, discarding the tough ends. Blanch the corn kernels.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, corn, asparagus, olives and mint. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, raspberry vinegar and sea salt. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and veggies and toss.

Slice the avocado and drizzle with a little lemon juice. To serve the salad, fan about 6 slices of avocado on each plate and top with about a cup of the salad mixture. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and freshly ground black pepper.


Variations:

• You can add some cooked beans like garbanzo, pinto beans or fresh edamame for an even higher protein dish.
• Other veggies of your choice can be used, such as carrot, fennel and shallot; or cucumber, red and yellow peppers and artichoke hearts.
• For nonvegans, add some crumbled feta cheese. For vegans, add marinated tofu cubes. Make a marinade from soy sauce, lemon juice and a little balsamic vinegar and marinate the cubes for at least an hour so they absorb the flavor. Then you can add as-is or bake in the marinade for about 15 minutes.
• In place of mint, you could use fresh dill, parsley, chervil, chives or spring onion.