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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This salad is healthy, delicious and full of nourishing ingredients. It is wonderful as a meal or as a side.
Print Recipe
Servings 6 -8 people

Ingredients
  

Quinoa

  • 1 cup quinoa (sprouted is best)
  • 2 cups organic bone broth or water

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

  • 1 cup roasted chickpeas (from cooked chickpeas or canned & rinsed)
  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Quinoa Salad

  • 1 cup spinach, chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes (or 1 jar of sundried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and chopped)
  • 1 cup fresh cucumbers, sliced or chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • 2-4 TB basil, chopped
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 jar kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
  • ⅓ cup pecans or pine nuts (raw or toasted)
  • ½ tsp himalayan pink salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 recipe Italian Dressing (see recipe link in the NOTES section)

Instructions
 

Bake Crispy Chickpeas

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Add the chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, pinch of himalayan salt, and smoked paprika to a bowl and mix well, then pour onto a stainless steel cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cook Quinoa

  • Boil 2 cups of water or organic chicken bone broth and add 1 cup of dried quinoa. Lower to a simmer and cover.
  • Cook according to package directions. Sprouted quinoa cooks in 12 minutes. After the quinoa is cooked, turn off the flame, and let it sit in the pot with a lid for 5 additional minutes.

Prepare & Assemble Quinoa Salad

  • Cool off the quinoa and the chickpeas in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
  • Chop spinach, cucumbers, onions, basil and add to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add kalamata olives (pitted and sliced), pine nuts or pecans, himalayan pink salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and crumbled feta cheese to large bowl with vegetables.
  • Make the Italian Dressing for the salad (see the recipe link in the NOTES section of this recipe) and add it to the large bowl.
  • Add the chilled quinoa and stir well.
  • Top with roasted chickpeas and serve.

Notes

Homemade Italian Dressing recipe link
This recipe was adapted from Love & Lemons Quinoa Salad