The days one starts feeling a slight nip in the air in the early morning or evening we know it’s almost fall. I really look forward to this time of the year; it’s just so exciting for me! If it’s not obvious yet, fall is my favorite season of all 🙂 Slowly but steadily the foods we eat also start changing. All the warm salads, soups and comfort foods just glide back in. It just makes everything so cozy!

Today’s recipe is of a very simple, nutritious salad. It’s full of crisp vegetables like like carrots, celery,  green and red cabbages which you all know are so good for you. Not only do they provide a ton of heart and gut healthy fiber but are also chock full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and antioxidants.

The addition of Quinoa adds a healthy dose of protein and additional fiber. So you can be sure that this salad will fill you up. I usually have some boiled Quinoa in the fridge. If you have cooked Barley, feel free to substitute. My recommendation is that you eat this salad during day rather than at night to give your body enough time to digest this hearty salad.

Basically you dice all the veggies to a somewhat similar size. Best is to take fingerling potatoes or like I had red and purple small potatoes. All that is left is to add the cooked quinoa, salt, olive oil and seasonings. Have it with a slice of bread or some soup for a complete meal!

Ingredients:

Fingerling potatoes or any other small potatoes – 4 or 5

Quinoa – ¾ cup, cooked

Green cabbage – ½ cup diced

Red Cabbage– ½ cup diced

Carrots– ½ cup diced

Red radish – 2 or 3 diced

Celery– ½ cups diced

Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tsps

Tuscan Seasoning mix or make your own mix (dried oregano, dried thyme, garlic powder, crushed fennel seeds, sesame seeds, chili flakes) – According to taste

Salt – According to taste

Directions:

• Keep the quinoa to boil.
• Then cook the potatoes in the microwave.
• While the quinoa and potatoes are cooking, chop the vegetables in approximately same size.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, roughly chop with skins into halves or quarters.
• Add the cooked quinoa and potatoes to the vegetables.
• Add the oil, salt and some Tuscan seasoning. Check taste and Enjoy!

Nutritional Contents:

Total Servings: 2

Serving Size: 1 Bowl

Per Serving: 211 cal, Potassium 719 mg, Carbs 35 g, Fiber 5.2 g, Sugar 4.8 g, Protein 6 g, Vit A 115%, Vit C 62%, Calcium 9%, Iron 11%