High Protein Quinoa Chickpea Salad (Printable Version)

Fluffy quinoa and hearty chickpeas tossed with fresh vegetables, herbs, and tangy feta in a lemon olive oil dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Grains & Legumes

01 - 1 cup quinoa
02 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables & Herbs

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cucumber, diced
05 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

→ Dairy

06 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold running water.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 2 cups water or vegetable broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
03 - While quinoa cooks, halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber, and chop fresh herbs.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled quinoa, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chopped herbs, and crumbled feta cheese.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine.
07 - Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes for a colder, more refreshing presentation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes better after sitting for a few hours, so you can make it in the morning and forget about lunch stress.
  • Every ingredient pulls its weight, no filler, just bright flavors and real energy that lasts.
02 -
  • Let the quinoa cool completely before mixing or it will wilt the herbs and make the feta sweat.
  • If your salad tastes flat, add more lemon juice and a pinch of salt, acidity and seasoning are everything here.
03 -
  • Toast the quinoa in the dry saucepan for a minute before adding liquid, it adds a subtle nutty flavor that makes it taste more complex.
  • Always taste the salad after dressing and adjust, sometimes it needs an extra squeeze of lemon or a pinch more salt to really sing.
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