Cook the Quinoa: First, rinse your 200g of quinoa thoroughly under cold running water using a fine-mesh sieve. Add the rinsed quinoa and 400ml of vegetable stock (or water) to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

Fluff the Quinoa: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes. What works best for me is this resting step, as it allows the quinoa to steam and become perfectly fluffy. After resting, fluff it gently with a fork and spread it out on a large plate or baking tray to cool completely. This speeds up the cooling and prevents it from clumping.

Prepare the Vegetables: While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare your fresh veggies. Dice the cucumber and bell peppers, halve the cherry tomatoes, and finely chop the red onion, parsley, and mint. Place them all in a large salad bowl.

Crumble the Cheese: Crumble the 100g of feta cheese over the vegetables in the bowl.

Make the Vinaigrette: In a small jar with a lid, combine the 90ml olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, minced garlic, optional honey/maple syrup, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously until the dressing is emulsified and creamy. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Combine the Salad: Once the quinoa is completely cool, add it to the large bowl with the vegetables and feta.

Dress and Serve: Pour the vinaigrette over the salad. Use salad servers to toss everything together gently until well combined. For the best flavour, let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to meld.