A Colourful Healthy Hummus Bowl

This vegan hummus bowl is full of healthy things but you know what? It isn't short on taste. The bowl starts with a layer of chilli hummus and is topped with a quinoa salad mixed with grated carrot, beetroot and lots of spring onions. The all important crunch is from a sprinkle of toasted seeds and before you know it you've got a delicious, fresh accompaniment to your meal or a meal in itself.

There are times that I mentally try and convince myself of things. You know when you prepare something healthy and you think "Oh look at me, I'm so.damn. healthy. I should start a healthy food blog" (okay no snickering Dear Reader, I can hear you ;) ). But really, I thought that I had an entirely new career in super healthy recipes because this was so wholesome and delicious.

And really for one meal I don't mind forgoing the good stuff or eating light. But really, there's no use hiding my true nature. I love the good stuff. I love fat, I love cakes, I love pastries and I love meat. I'm a Taurean and we love the good stuff. So I will confess now that whilst I love this bowl and thought that it was utterly delicious I also made a delivery order for fried chicken to eat it with (extra sticky, mmmm).

Because while this is a gloriously good salad that also happens to be vegan, it also needs to be balanced. I used to work in a shop when I was a teenager and I lost count at the number of customers ordering diet drinks with their fried chicken. See, it's all a matter of balance ;)

And thanks to Nina for modelling the hummus for me. She's the last person on earth to be eating salad with fried chicken!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you see sense in balancing fried chicken with salad or fried chicken with a diet drink?

Healthy Hummus Bowl

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves 4

• 1/3 cup quinoa
• 2x 400g tins of chickpeas
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 large red chillies (start with 2 and see how they go, mine were very mild)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1/2 cup edamame beans
• 1/2 cup chopped spring onion
• 1 small beetroot, peeled and grated
• 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
• 3 tablespoons seed mix (sesame, sunflower, pepita, poppyseeds)
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Step 1 - Rinse the quinoa and cook according to the packet directions (here are the directions in case you don't have any on the packet: add 2/3 cup water, bring to the boil with the lid on, reduce heat and cook on low not removing the lid, stand for 10 minutes afterwards).

Step 2 - Meanwhile make the hummus by blending the chickpeas, garlic, chillies, olive oil, water and lemon juice. Season to taste. Place a layer of the hummus on the base of a deep plate or bowl.

Step 3 In a bowl mix the quinoa with the edamame beans, spring onion, beetroot, carrot, seeds and lemon juice. Spoon this over the hummus and sprinkle with the parsley.