Description
A delicious and nutritious quinoa salad bowl topped with roasted chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and a creamy lemon tahini yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (~ 2 cups cooked)
- 10–12 cherry tomatoes (~ ½ cup diced)
- ½ english cucumber (~ ½ cup diced)
- ½ red onion (~ ½ cup diced)
- 5 kalamata olives
- ½ cup fresh parsley (~ 2 Tbsp chopped)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (~ 1 Tbsp chopped)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp allspice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 (16 oz) can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 cup whole fat greek yogurt (or low fat)
- ¼ cup tahini (Soom brand is great)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 large lemon)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 (16 oz) can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
- ¼ cup tahini (Soom brand is great but any brand works)
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1 large lemon)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 3 Tbsp chickpea liquid (Aquafaba) from the can of chickpeas (can use water instead)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉ and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse and drain chickpeas and dry with a paper towel, discarding the skins that come loose. In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas with extra virgin olive oil and spice blend including salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. Place the chickpeas on the baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 20-28 minutes. Oven times will vary so check on them starting at 20 minutes and every couple minutes after! Chickpeas are done when they are a golden brown color. Tip: the trick to crispy chickpeas is to rinse and dry them before adding the oil and spices.
- While the chickpeas are baking, prepare your quinoa salad. Add rinsed quinoa and cold water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Then lower to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. When quinoa is done cooking, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. While quinoa is cooking, dice cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and kalamata olives and chop fresh parsley and mint. Add the dressing ingredients including lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, allspice, and salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of the cooked quinoa. Mix well to combine. Tip: read the instructions on your quinoa! Most require rinsing before cooking.
- Mix together the tahini and yogurt in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients including the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper and give it a good stir. Set aside. Hint: if you prefer a thinner tahini sauce, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it gets to the consistency you prefer.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Save the liquid from the can in a separate bowl (you’ll use it later). Add the chickpeas to your food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until creamy using a spatula to push down the sides as needed the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin to your food processor or blender and puree until smooth. I recommend waiting until the end to add salt. This helps you better control the taste! Next, drizzle in the olive oil and continue to process/blend for about 1 minute the chickpea liquid (Aquafaba) to the mixture and puree until it reaches the consistency you desire. Season to taste by adding salt or garlic as desired. (Optional) for an even creamier hummus, add an ice cube or two at the end and puree until the ice is melted.
- Add 1 cup of spinach and ½ cup of the quinoa salad to create the base. Add ¼ cup roasted chickpeas, 2 Tbsp lemon tahini yogurt sauce, 2 Tbsp hummus, and 2 Tbsp feta cheese. Mix it together and enjoy!
Notes
- For a vegan option, you can skip the yogurt and replace it with additional tahini or avocado.
- Customize your salad by adding other vegetables or protein of choice.
- Store leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking, Mixing
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg