Turkey and quinoa salad with salsa rojo

Ingredients

• 500 g red cabbage (about ¼), very finely shredded
• 105 g (½ cup) quinoa 
• 350 g roasted turkey, shaved or roughly torn
• 12 canned pickled baby beetroots, halved
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

Salsa rojo

• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, blanched, peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 small garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 dried chile de arbol
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

To make the salsa rojo, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and dried chillies and char, turning occasionally, until the chillies begin to just blacken (about 3 minutes) and the garlic cloves are completely blackened and softened (about 20 minutes). Remove each ingredient from the pan as it is ready. Cool slightly, then destem the chillies and peel the garlic. Add to a blender, along with the tomato and oil and blend until smooth and thick. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside until ready to serve. Makes 1 cup.

Cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions. When it is ready, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid wrapped in a tea towel and allow to steam for 10 minutes.

Arrange the cabbage, quinoa, turkey, beetroot and pumpkin seeds on a large serving platter. Serve with the salsa rojo on the side to spoon over the salad.

Photographs by Benito Martin. Styling by Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd. Lava platter from The Country Trader.