How to make red quinoa salad with smoky aubergine yoghurt

Red quinoa salad with smoky aubergine yoghurt

The smoky aubergine topping on this salad has become something of a breakout star in its own right. It’s won so many fans that we now sell it on its own, to use as a dip, a sauce for lightly cooked vegetables, or a topping for crackers. Given that, it might be worth doubling up the quantities given here and keeping it in the fridge for all kinds of uses. Here, it provides a creamy contrast to the zingy, crunchy, wholesome salad underneath. You can use dried chickpeas in this recipe, as we do in the bakery – soaking them overnight, changing the water twice, then boiling them for an hour until softened. But, given that such a small quantity is required here, we’ve listed canned chickpeas in the ingredients. If you want to use dried chickpeas, you’ll need 50g.

Serves 4

For the smoky aubergine yoghurt

2 medium aubergines, halved lengthwise
fine sea salt and olive oil, for sprinkling and seasoning
1 garlic clove, crushed
50g tahini paste
120g very thick Greek yoghurt
½ lemon (juice only)

For the salad

80g red quinoa
80g canned chickpeas, drained
80g fresh or frozen peas, blanched
1 large or 3 small cucumbers, seeded and cut into 1.5cm dice
3 spring onions, roughly chopped
handful each of fresh coriander and parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 1.5cm dice
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
80g baby spinach, washed and drained

Begin by making the smoky aubergine yoghurt. Preheat your oven to 220°C/gas 7. With a sharp knife, cross-hatch the flesh of the aubergines on their cut sides, then sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Bake, cut sides up, for 20-30 minutes until soft and yielding when tested with a knife. Leave to cool until you can handle them easily, then scoop out all the flesh with a spoon and discard the skins. Chop and mash the flesh to a smooth pulp, then mix in all the other ingredients, tasting to check the seasoning. Cover and chill until needed.

Meanwhile, make the salad: cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water, shaking of all the excess water. Toss together all the ingredients until everything is well coated with lemon juice and olive oil. Spoon into bowls and serve with a good dollop of the aubergine yoghurt on top, so everyone can stir it in as they eat.

Recipe from ‘Gail's Artisan Bakery Cookbook’ by Roy Levy and Gail Mejia. Published by Ebury Press (£22.50)