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Chickpeas & Quinoa Salad [Vegetarian]

I’m looking forward to a rather busy weekends. For this instance, I mean good busy – catching up with friends, having coffee at the Bill’s Bean (in Orange) and lunching at a new Japanese eatery where I still can’t get enough of its intricate and addictive sushi (tempura prawn sushi, here I come again!).

As a reflection of my mood and anticipation for the upcoming weekends, I shall leave you with a colourful and delicious (not to mention hearty) salad perfect for a hassle free weekend meal.


Chickpeas & Quinoa Salad

(adapted mostly from The Australian Women’s Weekly – Slim)

Salad Ingredients:

  • 400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa & boiling water to cook the quinoa
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 lebanese cucumber
  • 1/2 red onion
  • A handfull of parsley
  • 2 tbsp pre-sliced kalamata olives

Lemon vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder

Yoghurt Dressing:

  • 200g /  7 oz Greek yoghurt
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A pinch of salt (adjust to your taste)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (adjust to your taste)
  • Chives or spring onion (optional)

Method:

  • Rinse quinoa over a fine mesh. Then add 1/2 cup boiling water into a pot together with quinoa and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed over low heat.

{To learn more about cooking quinoa, please watch the following video which I found to be very helpful. :)}

  • Drain chickpeas and rinse with some boiling water over a fine mesh. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. Then move on to dicing the cucumber (roughly), remove the core of the tomato and dice roughly, chop parsley and slice onion finely. Set all aside in the mixing bowl with the chickpeas as well as olives. When the quinoa is cooked, add it into the bowl also.

  • Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients with a fork. Set aside.

  • In a separate bowl, whisk yoghurt until fluffy and add grated garlic.

  • Followed by a pinch of salt and maple syrup. Whisk again until the ingredients are well combine.

  • Add chopped chives or spring onion and stir well.

  • To serve: Dress the salad with vinaigrette, then top with yoghurt dressing. Add more chopped chives if you like.

Chickpeas & Quinoa Salad

(adapted mostly from The Australian Women’s Weekly – Slim)

Salad Ingredients:

  • 400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa & boiling water to cook the quinoa
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 lebanese cucumber
  • 1/2 red onion
  • A handfull of parsley
  • 2 tbsp pre-sliced kalamata olives

Lemon vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder

Yoghurt Dressing:

  • 200g /  7 oz Greek yoghurt
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A pinch of salt (adjust to your taste)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (adjust to your taste)
  • Chives or spring onion (optional)

Method:

  • Rinse quinoa over a fine mesh. Then add 1/2 cup boiling water into a pot together with quinoa and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed over low heat.
  • Drain chickpeas and rinse with some boiling water over a fine mesh. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. Then move on to dicing the cucumber (roughly), remove the core of the tomato and dice roughly, chop parsley and slice onion finely. Set all aside in the mixing bowl with the chickpeas as well as olives. When the quinoa is cooked, add it into the bowl also.
  • Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients with a fork. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk yoghurt until fluffy and add grated garlic.
  • Followed by a pinch of salt and maple syrup. Whisk again until the ingredients are well combine.
  • Add chopped chives or spring onion and stir well.
  • To serve: Dress the salad with vinaigrette, then top with yoghurt dressing. Add more chopped chives if you like.

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Comments

  1. This is totally my type of summer salad! I always like to make extra and then have it for lunch the next day. A definite keeper which will be up on our summer menu soon! Nicely done!

    Reply

    • Thanks for your comment,Kim! Yes, it makes a nice packed lunch on the next day. I actually added some cold meat (i.e smoked turkey) over it with some roasted nuts. Just to bulk it up a little,lol! And it was fab!

      Reply

    • YES! It was healthy! It was wonderful. My beloved, a bona fide meat-eater, actually ate more than I expected. 🙂

      Reply

  3. To be honest, I’m not really a big fan of veggies but when it’s salad, I just couldn’t resist eating it! From what I read, it looks easy to prepare and I think the taste is truly gratifying!

    I can’t wait to make myself one these days…Thanks for posting this! Love it 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Mia,

      I think salad is the best way of eating veggies, no cooking, no loss in nutrients. 🙂 Even though I hardly have salad as a meal by itself, but if I do, I’ll make sure it’s hearty and filling, haha!

      Thank for your comment! 🙂

      Reply

      • I know right? My mom used to tell me that, too. But I can’t just eat salads forever so I started eating veggies a few months ago — only chosen recipes,though. It’s a good start, right? 😀

        Reply

  10. Hi! Just wanted to let you know I’ve made two batches of this delicious salad this week, one for my mom’s birthday dinner and another for me and my hubs. Perfect summer meal when it’s too hot to turn on the stove. Thanks!!!

    Reply

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