LEMON QUINOA & CHICKPEA SALAD

Healthy Lemon Quinoa Chickpea Salad is flavorful, balanced, and light. This quick, simple salad is packed with vegetables and can be used as a side or main dish. vegan recipe that uses no oil.

One of my favorite meals to cook together is a quinoa salad. Unless I'm explicitly pursuing a certain theme, like this Greek Quinoa Salad or this Apple Harvest Quinoa Salad, I don't usually plan on a certain list of vegetables to add in my quinoa salad.

I tossed together this lemon quinoa and chickpea salad because I had some stuff in the refrigerator that needed to be used up. As always, it was delicious!

WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE!

• It is wholesome. This quinoa chickpea salad is a low-fat, oil-free recipe that is rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins and is made up entirely of whole food plant-based components. See the dietary information below.
• Simple to personalize. With this salad, you can easily use whatever vegetables you have on hand or need to use up!
• It is prepared in one pot. One pot recipes make cooking and cleanup simple!

INGREDIENT NOTES

• 1 cup dry quinoa (I used tri-color)
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper (about 1 cup), diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced small
• 1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 – 1 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 – 3 juicy lemons (about 1/4 – 1/3 cup), juice of
• red pepper flakes, optional
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Quinoa should be rinsed in a fine mesh strainer using cool running water.
• To prepare quinoa, combine water, quinoa, and garlic powder in a big pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. After removing the cover, wait 10 to 15 minutes. With a fork, fluff. Use this quick and simple Instant Pot Quinoa instead.
• While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables.
• Build the salad by adding the chickpeas, bell pepper, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, and seasonings after the quinoa is cooked. Use salt and pepper to taste to season.
• Serve hot, cool, or room temperature. I enjoy drizzling more lemon juice on top while serving mine. Also fantastic would be avocado slices!

NOTES

• Seasonings: You are free to use any seasoning you desire in this dish. I made use of a small amount of Trader Joe's 21 Salute Seasoning blend. Alternatively, you might use a common seasoning, a lemon pepper combination, or any of your preferred spices. Thyme, basil, cumin, or any of your other favorites would work well here—even a teaspoon or so will do. To suit your taste, keep it basic or add a variety of spices.
• Dressing: Try using this Zesty Garlic + Lemon Dressing if you'd want something a little more potent than simply the lemon!

HOW TO STORE

• Chickpea and quinoa salad leftovers can be kept in the fridge for five to six days. Keep enclosed and covered.
• Meal planning and preparation: You can prepare this recipe in advance and store it in the refrigerator. You can obtain 4 wholesome servings via meal planning. This salad is packed with easy, nutrient-dense items that you can have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and will still make you feel full.