This salad is easily customisable. Play around with your choice of grains, nuts and herbs to find your ideal flavour profile.

Ingredients

½ cup grain of choice, use what you have in, eg rice, orzo, couscous, millet, quinoa
4 small sweet potatoes, washed and cubed
2 carrots – thinly sliced, tops included. Any variety, eg purple, orange, yellow
1 bunch celery, thinly sliced, leaves included
1 small red onion – thinly sliced
Few stems of kale – roughly chopped, stalks either included or into your stock box
1 tsp apple cider or white wine vinegar plus 1 tsp salt
1 can chickpeas or other beans of choice, drained and rinsed well
1 large handful freshly chopped herbs, coriander, mint, parsley
¼ cup chopped and lightly toasted nuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts
1 tbsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

2 tbsp date syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon - juiced
2 tsp dijon mustard
½ inch fresh ginger, minced or grate
2 small cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Water – to loosen

Method

First make your dressing. Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until combined. You can also do this in a small blender if you want. Add water if you prefer a runnier dressing.

Cook your grain accordingly. Bring to the boil in salty water and simmer until cooked. Depending on what you are using the time can vary.

For the potatoes, place into a large pan of cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil before lowering to a simmer. You want them to be soft and tender but not overcooked, roughly 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. I like this salad warm but feel free to place into a bowl with cold water to get them to cool down quicker.

Into a separate bowl, add the carrots, celery, red onion and kale. Add the tsp of vinegar and salt. Using your hands, gently mix and massage the vegetables to soften slightly.

To the bowl, add in your grain, potatoes, drained and rinsed beans/chickpeas, fresh herbs, nuts and toasted cumin seeds. Season with salt and pepper and pour in your dressing, mixing gently as you go.

Serve as is or with anything else you desire. I often squeeze on some extra lemon or lime and if I feel like adding a touch more spice, a pinch of dried chilli flakes do the trick.

Spring recipes: 5 lunch ideas that are tasty, nutritious and perfect to eat outside