Green buckwheat courgette salad
Buckwheat is a gluten free seed and is very useful in a gluten-free diet as it gives a grain-like texture. It’s slightly nutty in taste and cooks in les time than quinoa or rice. For the health benefits see tip below. This salad is also a good way to top up your calcium levels. You’ll find calcium in the buckwheat, tahini, sunflower seeds and feta cheese.
ingredients
serves 3
200g buckwheat, rinsed
1 large courgette
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
70g frozen peas
1 spring onion
small handful of mint
large handful of parsley, watercress or spinach
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
feta cheese to serve
Dressing
2 tablespoons of tahini
1/2 lemon, juiced
pinch of salt
splash of water
method
prep time: 30 mins
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Slice the courgette into rounds, dress with the olive oil and a grind of black pepper and roast in the oven (or an air fryer).
While the courgette is cooking, cook the buckwheat grains. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the buckwheat and cook for 15 minutes. Drain well and add to a large salad bowl.
To make the dressing blend the tahini, lemon juice, water and salt and add this to the buckwheat and stir well.
Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water until tender and add to the salad bowl.
Slice the spring onions and avocado and add to the salad bowl.
Chop the parsley (or watercress/spinach) and mint and stir this through the buckwheat.
The courgette should now be ready so remove from the oven and add to the salad.
Stir through the sunflower seeds.
Serve the salad with feta cheese for more protein.
the health boost tip
Diets that include buckwheat have been linked to lower risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Buckwheat is also a great source of magnesium, which has been found to be low in many people’s diets. The fibre content of buckwheat is also good and 1 cup of buckwheat contains about 4.5g of fibre.
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