Quinoa craze: Celebrity-approved superfood salad recipe

The inclusion of quinoa in the salad shouldn't be surprising, as it has become one of the major culinary hits in recent years. In South America, the plant, which — according to Indian legends — was a divine gift to the people, was cultivated as far back as 5,000 years BCE, though the rest of the world appreciated it much later. In fact, it was only in the 21st century that we discovered the extraordinary qualities of the seemingly unremarkable quinoa seeds, which belong to the same family as our native beetroot and spinach.

The rise in quinoa's popularity is largely thanks to celebrities who publicly rave about the fantastic properties of the "golden grain of the Incas." One notable fan of natural products is Angelina Jolie. The magazine "The National Enquirer" once revealed the secret behind the actress's slender figure. Do you need any better reasons to prepare a quinoa-based salad?

Quinoa is a very rich source of complete proteins – it provides the body with a full set of essential amino acids that our body cannot produce. Until now, it was believed that such a set is found only in meat and soya, which are also products rich in saturated fats or genetically modified ingredients. Quinoa lacks these drawbacks. Among the amino acids, there is lysine, which has anti-cancer properties, and arginine, which stimulates growth hormone in children and enhances immunity in adults. Quinoa also provides other valuable compounds, especially flavonoids (noted for their strong antioxidant and anticancer effects) and saponins (substances with diuretic and expectorant properties, which also enhance mucus secretion and accelerate fat metabolism).

The "grain of the Incas" is a treasure trove of iron (helps combat anaemia), magnesium, and potassium (have a positive effect on the nervous system, promote water balance and blood pressure regulation) as well as zinc (keeps skin, hair, and nails in good condition). Quinoa contains a lot of calcium (more than milk), which is notably much better absorbed by the body.

Quinoa is a rich source of B vitamins, vitamin E (often referred to as the "vitamin of youth and vitality"), and fibre, which regulates the digestive tract and makes us feel full longer after a meal. This should be appreciated by people looking for products that aid in weight loss. Even more so because quinoa has a low glycaemic index, and thanks to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids (twice as much as in wheat grains, for instance), it accelerates the burning of fat tissue. The salad also includes other ingredients with high nutritional value, like butternut squash and kale.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the butternut squash into cubes (about 350 grams), drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake for half an hour, stirring halfway through. At the same time, cook the quinoa (about 90 grams), according to the instructions on the packet. Drain a tin of chickpeas and transfer them to a small bowl.

Chop a bunch of kale, drizzle with olive oil, mix, and transfer to a large salad bowl. Add quinoa, squash, chickpeas, and diced apple, pomegranate seeds (about 90 grams), crumbled goat's cheese (about 90 grams), and roasted pumpkin seeds (about 90 grams).

Prepare the dressing: combine olive oil (about 80 millilitres) with apple cider vinegar (about 45 millilitres), tahini paste (about 30 millilitres), maple syrup (about 15 millilitres), chopped shallot, Dijon mustard (about 5 millilitres), juice from one squeezed lemon, and cinnamon (about 1 gram). Pour the dressing over the salad, mix, and serve.