29 March 2018

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Quinoa Chickpea Salad / www.delightfulrepast.com

We have one or two nights a week when we need to have a no-muss-no-fuss, almost-no-cleanup-afterward, make-ahead meal. And since it's spring and we really do need to start eating more salads, I’ve been thinking of making one of them a Salad Night.

There’s always quinoa in the cupboard, though I haven’t actually cooked any in months. And there’s always canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Together, a cup of quinoa and a can of chickpeas has about 45 grams of protein, making this a great vegan main dish.

And since quinoa is actually a seed rather than a grain, Quinoa Chickpea Salad is a suitable dish for those on grain-free or gluten-free diets. This is really one of those not-a-recipe recipes, so you can add and subtract vegetables and seasonings at will.

What is your favorite salad ingredient?

Quinoa Chickpea Salad / www.delightfulrepast.com

Quinoa Chickpea Salad


(Makes 3 main-dish servings or about 10 side servings)

1 cup (6.35 ounces/180 grams) quinoa
2 cups (16 fluid ounces/473 ml) water
1 15-ounce (425 grams) can chickpeas
1 large (about 12 ounces/340 grams) English cucumber, chopped
12 ounces (340 grams) tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, most of stems removed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 Rinse quinoa in a large fine-mesh strainer with cold water. Pour it into a 1.5-quart saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.

2 Put cooled quinoa in a large (at least 3-quart) bowl. Rinse and drain chickpeas in the strainer and add to the bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes and cilantro. Pour the remaining ingredients directly into the bowl or, if you prefer, make the dressing separately and mix it in. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Quinoa Chickpea Salad / www.delightfulrepast.com


Note: You might also like my Tabbouleh - Made with Quinoa Instead of Bulgur.

Jean

66 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

Fresh, light and very delicious...I would definitely go for a 2nd helping!

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

A tough pill…er, grain…er, seed for me to swallow. But I do go on brief salad binges now and then, and I eat a lot of coleslaw. Quinoa and chickpeas, being essentially bland and tasteless (to me), are on the curve of edibles. Throw some raspberry vinaigrette over things green, add a little cheese, clementines, and maybe some bacon bits (or not), and my nose starts to twitch and I hop around the kitchen. All by way of saying that salads are creeping onto my menu…

Louca por porcelana said...

That salad looks delicious,perfect for the hot weather here!My favorite salad is tomatoes and japanese cucumber one.Happy Easter,dear Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Angie. I'm having a second helping today!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, I'm glad to see salads are creeping onto your menu. You could use clementines in place of the tomatoes, but I don't like them together. This would be fine with cheese, but clementines and cheese would be a bad combo for my tastebuds.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Maristella. Hugs!

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

Yummmm!!! I've been craving salads lately, and looking forward to once again having some fresh greens in the veggie garden. This looks great!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Debbie. I go for a long time without a salad, then I start craving them! And my days of making salads AND dinner are over! So I like to make a salad that IS dinner.

Debbie said...

This sounds delicious and I have everything on hand to make it! Thank you for sharing!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Debbie, thank you. Don't you love it when that happens! Because some days I'm just NOT going to run out to the store!

Zaa said...

Quick and easy ...I LIKE IT... It’s a great way to get hubby to eat more salads... Quinoa and chickpeas make quite a sufficient summer time meal and the tomato makes it an even more attractive way into a man's stomach ( ha ha)... and I have all the ingredients ( Yeah) ...SIMPLE !!!! Thanks and have a HAPPY EASTER Jean...xoxoxox

TONY said...

Very much into salads over here Jean. I must admit I like Jersey Royals with butter and sea salt to go with the lettuce, tomatoes, chickpeas, peppers etc. But quinoa? Is that a sort of opium as in poppy seeds etc? Quite a salad experience I should think. If you like a bit of European World War II history, Jersey Royals, had a sad moment when Jersey was taken over by the Germans. Jersey had a very bad war.British people have a great fondness and a place in their hearts for Jersey and their special potatoes partly as a consequence but also because they have an amazing flavour.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Zaa, thank you! Mr Delightful loved it, and I hope your husband will too. All the best to you both.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tony, I have many ways with potatoes, salads or otherwise - *love* potatoes and would love to try Jersey Royals someday. It was only when Island at War came out that I learned of Jersey's wartime experience, and I was angry that I had never heard of it before. Why was it not in the history books? How did I get to this age without hearing about it? Anyway ... thanks for that bit of history. If I hadn't been enlightened as I mentioned, it would have been news to me.

Margie said...

I like quinoa and chickpeas so this easy salad is perfect for me! Thanks for sharing!

Lowcarb team member said...

Salads are super!
This one looks very nice indeed.

All the best Jan

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Margie. I had made enough for three main, so had the leftovers for lunch today. Liked it even better today!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jan, thank you. It IS time for salads!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

Very nice salad. I usually have quinoa in the cupboard, but I usually forget to use it. My ideal salad is simply tomatoes that have just been picked on a warm, summer day with a simple dressing and maybe a little basil. At this time of year, though, my salads tend to feature quite a lot of celeriac.

NanaDiana said...

That really DOES look just delightful, Jean. Happy Easter to you- xo Diana

Manu said...

Delicious and perfect for spring!
Love

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Phil. And I quite agree - I love raw celeriac, and nothing can top tomatoes fresh from the garden on a warm summer day.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Diana, thank you. And Happy Spring!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Manu, thank you. And hugs!

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

What a beautiful presentation you've shared, Jean! The chickpeas and quinoa sound like the perfect combo for a salad. Happy Easter, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Kitty, thank you so much! It's a good protein salad. Enjoy your special family time!

Pauline Wiles said...

Thank you for the reminder to dig out the quinoa - I love that it makes the salad a little more hearty. I think, Jean, I'll use your recipe as a jumping off point and possibly throw in a bit of chicken and mango too. A little fruit in a salad always raises my enthusiasm!

Quinn said...

I need to make this soon! I did a pantry reorganization this week and found a forgotten jar of quinoa :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Pauline, chicken and mango would be great - this is very versatile. I just don't like to mix in other fruits with tomatoes.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Quinn, great to hear from you! I love it when I find one of those "forgotten" jars. :-)

Jeanie said...

This looks healthy and tasty too -- with lots of potential variations1

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Jeanie. Yes, I've made many variations - go ahead and throw the kitchen sink at it!

Pom Pom said...

Hi Jean! Yum! That is pretty! It looks very tasty, too!
I like mushrooms in my salad. I love olives, too.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Karen, thank you. I like mushrooms and olives, too!

ellen b said...

It looks healthy and delicious!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jean, Thank you for this healthy recipe. John is diabetic and I am always searching for high protein meals with no sugar. We both would love this. I do love tomatoes on my salad and John loves mushrooms. We appreciate your kind comment re John's illness. Wishing you a most blessed Easter.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Jean

This looks like a delicious meal and healthy salad. Thanks for sharing.
Happy weekend, Happy Easter to you and your family.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

We both love chickpeas and quinoa, but have never combined them. Like you, we are looking to eat simply and healthfully several nights a week.

This seems to happen more often than not; I have an upcoming blog post for a quinoa salad as well. Happily it’s very different from yours! I am always amazed at how we crave so much on the same wavelength!

Oh, and my favorite salad ingredient is avocado.

Happy Day of the Blue Moon!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ellen!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Mildred, thank you. I do hope this will be a good low-glycemic choice for John. And throw some mushrooms on there. They would fit well with the other ingredients.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Eileen! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, David. Yes, these "wavelengths" are a funny thing! And throw some avocado in there. It would go well with the other ingredients. I was going to do that this time, but I had my heart set on using my last big, perfect avocado for a solo lunch of guacamole and organic white corn chips! Can never eat guacamole out because, as you know, it always has garlic.

Amy Johnson said...

Oh, this looks delish! Pinned!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Amy. Pins and all social media shares are always much appreciated!

grownchildren.net said...

thanks for the recipe and the suggestion on DIY variations. My daughter and her daughter [my granddaughter] are vegans. their visits are sometimes a culinary challenge.this is just perfect for a spring or summer visit.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, grownchildren. I'm so glad it was helpful. And if you have any gluten-free people visiting, I have developed lots of GF recipes. Everyone I know has a different set of eating restrictions, so it does get challenging!

amotheradaughterandlife said...

My sister makes a salad similar to this and it is so good. I will have to give yours a try when she comes to visit.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Victoria. I hope you'll both like it!

April J Harris said...

What a lovely fresh, flavourful and colourful salad, Jean! I never used to eat chickpeas and now they are a real favourite. Thank you so much for sharing your Quinoa Chickpea Salad at the Hearth and Soul Link Party! Happy Easter to you and yours.

Unknown said...

This sounds very good....will have to give it a try. Maybe tonight!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, April. And I love that it can be made a day ahead! Chickpeas are catching on!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Unknown. Do let me know how it turns out for you.

Marisa Franca @ Allourway said...

That is so pretty. I've never combined chickpeas and quinoa. I love the unusual and yet it really isn't. You have your protein in the chickpeas and quinoa and the extra flavor you put into it would certainly make it a favorite in our house. Brava!!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Marisa, thanks so much. We love olive oil and wine vinegar, and if I had put olives in this, Mr Delightful would've been super happy.

Unknown said...

I love quinoa and chickpeas but haven't thought of trying then together. This looks so healthy and tasty! Visiting today through #blogcrush. xx

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Dawn. I think it's a great combination. Hope you'll try it soon.

Grandma's Hosue DIY said...

What a beautiful salad! Thanks for sharing with us at the To Grandma's house we go link party!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tarah, thank you! Love your link party.

Miz Helen said...

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for sharing your special post with us at Full Plate Thursday! Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Miz Helen!

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

I'm trying really heard to like quinoa. :) I know that it is so good for you. I think it's something to do with the texture. Thanks for sharing this recipe with SYC.
hugs,
Jann

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jann, you don't have to like quinoa! :D I figure if I've tried something a few times and don't like it, I'll just have to get along without it!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Love main course salads like this! And we're in the midst of switching from having soup at least twice a week for dinner, to having salad at least twice a week for dinner. So I can use more terrific recipes like this. Thanks!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

John, thank you! And what a terrific idea to have soup dinners twice a week part of the year and salad dinners the other part - I think I'm going to adopt that plan!

Unknown said...

My in-laws eat a lot of salad over the summer but we hardly ever do. This looks yummy, though! #blogcrush

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Lucy! I plan to eat more salads over the summer.