My go-to summer salad recipe: A retreat favourite!

If you’ve been to any of our retreat days over the last year or so, you’ll know that I love putting on a spread of seasonal, nourishing nibbles for everyone to enjoy post-Pilates! For this year’s summer event, I thought it might be nice to share some of my favourite light dishes I’m making on rotation at the moment, and wow, you all loved them!

I’m incredibly lucky that my fiancé, Ben, is amazing when it comes to food. He’s not a chef (though you wouldn’t know it!), but so many people have asked if that’s his profession after tasting our retreat brunches. We tend to tag-team the catering, I find the inspo, and he brings it all to life. Or as Ben likes to say, “you’re the bark and I’m the bite” haha! It brings us so much joy to share the food we love, made with love.

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers from this year’s summer spread was our Summer Salad! It’s my fresh-but-filling twist on the traditional tabbouleh salad: loaded with colourful veggies, heaps of herbs, creamy avocado, and quinoa instead of bulgur wheat for a protein boost.

So many of you asked for the recipe, so here it is!

A quick, easy, light lunch that’s totally plant-based and perfect for summer!

My Fav Summer Salad

Nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a large cucumber

• 2 large tomatoes

• 1/2 a large avocado

• A handful of flat-leaf parsley

• A handful of fresh mint leaves

• 100g cooked quinoa

• A pinch of salt

• A generous squeeze of lemon

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Chop the veg: Finely chop the cucumber, tomatoes, and avocado into small chunks. The smaller, the better! Pop it all into a bowl, add a generous pinch of salt, and mix.

2. Add herbs + quinoa: Finely chop the parsley and mint, and stir them through the salad. Then add the quinoa (either cooked, or ready-to-eat from the pouch!) The key is to not let the quinoa overpower the veg, a little goes a long way!

3. Dress it up: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Pour it over the salad, add a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and toss everything gently.

4. ENJOY!!

This salad keeps beautifully in the fridge for a day or two, so it’s perfect for prepping ahead. Enjoy it on its own, or serve as a side dish at your next summer BBQ or picnic.

Let me know if you give it a go, and keep an eye out for more retreat favourites coming soon! 💛