This cherry and ancient grain salad can be served warm as a main for lunch, piled onto a table as part of a braai spread, or served alongside grilled chicken or fish. Recipe compliments of Juicy Delicious.

Ingredients

The salad:

• 1 cup cooked bulgur wheat
• 1 cup cooked white quinoa
• 1 cup cooked green lentils
• 2 cups halved pitted cherries
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup diced butternut
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ ​ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 spring onions with tops, sliced
• 2 Tbsp sultanas
• 4 Tbsp pistachio or almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 medium red pepper diced
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic grated
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp honey
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

​Shake all the dressing ingredients together in a glass screw-top jar. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside until needed.

Method

1. Now, back to the salad.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the butternut, red onion, garlic, cayenne pepper and honey.
3. Fry gently for five minutes, stirring to coat the butternut.
4. Remove from the heat and spoon into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add the bulgur wheat, quinoa and lentils to the bowl.
6. Stir in all the remaining salad ingredients.
7. Shake and pour over the dressing, give it a good stir and pile onto a serving platter.