Quinoa Chickpea Salad

This healthy quinoa salad is ideal for a casual gathering with friends and even to bring for a summer picnic one of these days as it is a light, refreshing meal

Quinoa is often referred to as a superfood because it is a protein-rich grain that is packed with essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

This quinoa salad is a delightful and nutritious dish that combines the goodness of quinoa with chickpeas (another superfood), fresh vegetables and herbs. The key is a good dressing and I am a total fan of using chili in my dressings. Mix the chili with lime (or lemon), oil and salt, and let it rest for a bit while you prepare the rest of the recipe. The chili gets softer in taste and it will only ad a very light and pleasant chili taste.

I highly recommend it 🥗👌

It is also vegan and gluten free!

I hope you want to try this recipe, and if you do, please let me know how it turns out for you.

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Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Prep Time-20 minutes
Cook-time-20 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes
Yield:4 main or 8 sides

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Instructions

1. To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and put down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook about 15 minutes, until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water and is fluffy. Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and let it cool down.

2. Prepare the cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs.

3. In a small bowl, combine the chili chopped thinly with the olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.

4. Once the quinoa is mostly cool, add the chickpeas, vegetables and herbs and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Season with black pepper, to taste, and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups of cooked quinoa)
2 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
1 medium cucumber, diced
8 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup finely chopped herbs like parsley (if you have mint or coriander you can combine with that too)
For the dressing:
1 small chili (Jalapeño strength or less)
¾ cup chopped onion (from 1 small onion)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste