There is a short story behind this quinoa salad. I normally don’t buy quinoa. No specific reason though. I just don’t have this habit.
But once I stayed in a Novotel Hotel in Munich, it changed my mind. Their salad bar in the breakfast service was wonderful, especially the chickpeas and quinoa salad. In Germany, a country dominated by meat and sausages, I would try my best to get the most of a salad bar, to compensate for a shortage of vegetables during the rest of the day.
How to Cook Quinoa
Then I looked it up online, and found out it’s super easy to make. This quinoa, according to my packet’s instructions, add 5 times water to the quinoa, bring to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer, until the water is absorbed by the quinoa.
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas
And for the chickpeas, as usual, I used dried chickpeas since it is more budget-friendly and it’s not difficult to cook. I soaked the dried chickpeas overnight, then pressure cooked them in salted water (approx. 1% salt) at high pressure for 10 mins, releasing pressure naturally. Save the chickpea broth! It’s tasty! You can use it for any stew or as a normal soup stock.
The salad dressing is as basic as usual – oil, acid, salt and pepper. But I used preserved lemon because I have a big jar in the fridge! It’s not necessary to use preserved lemon. You can use lemon juice, have a taste bit by bit, this kind of dressing can’t go so wrong.
Ingredients
Serves: 2
- 2 ladle of cooked chickpeas
- 50 g quinoa (can add more if not using potatoes)
- 2 vine plum tomatoes, diced
- ¼ cucumber, diced
- ¼ red onion, diced
- 80 g rosa verde salad leaves
- 1 small handful mint, finely chopped
- 1 small handful parsley, finely chopped
- 8 salad potatoes
Dressing
- ⅛ preserved lemon, finely chopped (or use lemon juice)
- 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml balsamico
- salt & pepper
How to Make Chickpeas and Quinoa Salad
- First, cook the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a pan, pour water 5 times more, put the lid on and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer until water is absorbed by the quinoa. The whole process requires at least 10 minutes. If you use potatoes, start cooking them at the same time. Boil the salad potatoes in salted water for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop or dice the vegetables and put them into a large bowl. Mix the dressing.
- Put everything together, mix well and enjoy!
More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Wakame Seaweed and Bean Sprouts Salad
- Rosa Thai Mushroom Salad in Vegan Nam Tok Sauce
- Beet and Clementine Salad with Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette
- Smashed Cucumber Salad in Chinese Style
- Portuguese Style Cod and Chickpea Salad
