Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

-Serves 3-4
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Cool, crunchy, and packed with protein, my quinoa and chickpea salad is filled with colors and flavors of the Mediterranean. The combination of quinoa and chickpeas serves as a perfect base to build meals throughout the week. It’s awesome combined with apples and cucumbers, leafy greens like spinach and arugula or even with sweet roast pumpkin. Enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients 

For quinoa:
1 cup quinao
1.25 cups of chicken or vegetable stock for rice cooker (or 1.5 cups of liquid if using a saucepan)
1 bay leaf

For salad:
1 green or red apple, chopped into small cubes
1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips
1 Japanese cucumber, peeled and cubed 
1/4 cups raisins (or 3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced - for variation)
1-2 green chili padi, chopped - optional 
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained  
1/3 cup good quality Greek feta, crumbled - for garnish
1/4 cup roasted pistachios, for garnish 
1/4 cup fresh coriander or mint leaves, chopped

​For dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon 
1/4 cup Papa’s Grove extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
​1 tablespoon honey

Recipe
  1. Rinse quinoa well, add stock, bay leaf and cook it just like rice either in a saucepan or in a rice cooker. Once cooked, stir to fluff it up and place in a plate to cool.
  2. Place apple, raisins (or sun-dried tomatoes), cucumber, red pepper, green chili padi, chickpeas, coriander and quinoa in a large bowl. 
  3. Whisk together lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and honey to make salad dressing.
  4. Pour salad dressing over quinoa, and vegetables, stir well. Garnish with pistachios and crumbled feta, serve chilled.
(Pour dressing just before serving)
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