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Herbed Quinoa & Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Herbed Quinoa & Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Salads

Course

Difficulty

Easy

Pulse Type

Chickpeas

Specialty Diet

Gluten-free

Nutrition

1/2 cup serving

Cook Time

35 minutes

Nutrition

View nutritional facts per serving ›

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Ingredients

Servings:

Salad:

1 cup quinoa rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
2 cups water
1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained; or 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 cups spinach baby; roughly chopped
1/2 cup parsley flat-leaf, fresh; chopped
1/2 cup cilantro fresh (or additional parsley); chopped
1/3 cup green onions chopped (green parts only)
1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds hulled, toasted

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsps lemon juice to taste
2 tbsps tahini
1 large clove garlic pressed or minced
1/2 tsp salt sea, fine
pepper to taste

Instructions

To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, reducing heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, which gives it time to fluff up.
Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and making little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a large serving bowl to cool for a few minutes (we’ll add more to the bowl in a minute).
To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, salt and several twists of freshly ground pepper. Taste, and add up to 1 more tablespoon of lemon juice and/or more pepper, if necessary.
Once the quinoa is ready to use, add it to the large bowl. Add the chickpeas, spinach, parsley, cilantro, green onion, feta and toasted pepitas. Drizzle all of the dressing over the salad, and toss to combine. Serve immediately, or let it cool and refrigerate for later. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE/VEGAN: Omit the feta. You might like to add some thinly sliced Kalamata olives to make up for it.