Training & Nutrition

Video Recipe: Basil Cherry Cucumber Quinoa Salad

We've teamed up with the cherry experts, USA Montmorency Tart Cherries, to bring you a delicious treat

We love baking ride goodies to fuel us for our cycling adventures, and we also love making recovery creations for the post-ride fill-up too. This spring, we’ve fallen in love with the highly underestimated fruit: cherries.

Having teamed up with the cherry experts, USA Montmorency Tart Cherries, we’ve learnt that not only do they taste good, there’s a wealth of nutritional and body benefits to be gained by introducing these little red orbs into your diet.

With the expert’s help, we’ve been busy whipping up a storm in the kitchen with a number of delicious cherry recipes to boost your pedal power, and soothe your aching muscles whilst remaining healthy, and easy to make. The video recipe series will cover:

Montmorency Tart Cherry Matcha Smoothie (watch here)
Double chocolate cherry cookies (watch here)
Tart Cherry power gummies (watch here)
Tart Cherry Smoothie Bowl (Watch here)
Basil cherry cucumber quinoa salad

Basil Cherry Cucumber Quinoa Salad: You’ll need…

1 cup dry quinoa
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup dried Montmorency tart cherries
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
3 ounces goat cheese
3 persian cucumbers, thinly sliced with mandoline, vertically
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons agave nectar
juice of half a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Rinse quinoa well in a colander with cold water. Add to medium pot, cover with water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

To a large bowl, add dried tart cherries, red onion, basil, goat cheese, cucumbers. Pour quinoa on top. Whisk together or blend olive oil, agave nectar, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Pour over salad ingredients and fold to combine. Taste, and add salt if needed. Divide into jars and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If that wasn’t easy enough, check out the short video below of us making our own in the TWC kitchen.

For further information about the health benefits of cherries, and for inspiration on how you can introduce them into your diet, head over the CMI website here.