Avocado and Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Kind Lifer Amelie shared this good-looking salad in the recipe gallery. It looks really fresh!
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups spinach
1 cup cilantro
1/4 cup onion
2 teaspoons garlic
2 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 avocados, chopped
1 lemon, zested
2 lemons, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Directions
1. Start by making the quinoa: soak the quinoa in a pot in the vegetable broth for about 15 minutes. Turn the heat on to medium-high and let the quinoa come to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the quinoa simmer. Stir every so often and cook quinoa about 20-25 minutes, just until the liquid is absorbed – don’t let it dry out completely, though; when there is just a tiny amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from the heat and cover. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, put the spinach and cilantro in a food processor. Process until the greens are finely diced. (You can do this by hand if you don’t have a food processor.) Put the greens in the serving bowl and set aside.
3. As long as the food processor is out and dirtied, use it to chop the onion and garlic, then add to the greens mixture. Add the chickpeas to the serving bowl and mix well. When your quinoa has cooled, add it to the bowl as well, along with the tomatoes.
4. Make the dressing by whisking all the remaining ingredients together, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour over salad and mix until combined. You can set the salad aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve and top with avocado.
She also shared it on her blog lactosefreegirl.com.
How do you like to eat quinoa?
A salad? A side dish? What’s your favorite quinoa dish ever?
Tell me in the comments below or post your own recipe to your profile and submit it to the recipe gallery!
27 comments
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Just made this and it's really good! Light but filling...I love chickpeas, avocado, and quinoa so this gonna be something I make often! Hopefully next time we'll have tomatoes in the fridge! -
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I made this for lunch today but used raw kale instead of spinach. It's still hot here in Sydney and it was delish! Great summer salad :)
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Hiya Alicia! Never had quinoa but I quite like spinach, as does Popeye of course. Lol! Have a good day, Kind Lifers, but especially of course, the gorgeous Alicia Silverstone! xo. -
Beautiful, and looks delicious! This is going on my "to make immediately" list. Thank you for sharing! -
Simply and looks delicious - just the way I like it. Any recommendations for making yummy and easy vegetable broth?
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Hi Jane! I once heard a great tip for making veggie broth that I have made part of my life. It makes it so easy! Since I eat so many veggies, I just take all the odds and ends that would normally end up in the trash (or compost)such as carrot ends, broccoli stalks/leaves, kale spines, squash guts/seeds, etc., and put them in an airtight container in the freezer. Once I've accumulated about 4 or 5+ cups worth of scraps, I put them in a pot, add about twice as much water and simmer for 3 hours before straining. Voila! Delicious veggie broth. I like to add some spices as well. Makes the house smell heavenly! :)
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I'll use some or all of these: dried basil, oregano, sage, thyme, powdered ginger, salt and/or "poultry seasoning" (no poultry involved!). And sometimes I add nothing. It always turns out delicious either way. Good luck! (I don't know why it wouldn't let my reply to your question directly...)
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Just happen to have all those ingredients on hand....making this today! My all time favorite quinoa recipe is my twist on a tabouleh recipe I found in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. I substitute quinoa for the bulgur and use radishes instead of cukes. I made a few other changes & will add the recipe to my profile within the next few days. If i have some plain leftover quinoa in the fridge, I'll reheat it w/a tiny bit of water & then serve w/a drizzle of tamari & toasted sesame seed oil. Then I sprinkle lots of toasted sesame seeds on top & sometimes a shake of Japanese Red Pepper Mix (Shichimi Togarashi) or the plain Red Pepper (Ichimi Togarashi...which I think is plain cayenne). Btw, try these peppers on rice, too.
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Looks great!! I'm partial to red quinoa and it's earthy flavor. I often make it with fresh Italian parsley, cherry tomatoes, mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. I also enjoy cooking it in vegetable broth and adding in some goodies like sauteed onions and spinach or a la Alicia's Moroccan style cous cous recipe. -
I made this dish for a dinner party and the guests LOVED it (and, of course, so did I!). It is just so fresh and light. It is a great side dish for dinner, or it can be eaten on its own as a light lunch. I brought it to a potluck it was a great compliment to the other dishes. It was a hit!
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