Chickpea Quinoa Salad Bowl

This colorful salad is good for the mind, body, and soul. Packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins, it's delicious and beautiful. It's not your ordinary salad; this is a meal, not a side.

What you'll need:

Salad Contents

• 1 cup tricolor quinoa

• Spring mix salad

• Cherry tomatoes halved

• Red bell pepper chopped (optional for crunch)

Chickpeas

• 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Dressing (see recipe for lemon basil sauce)

• 2 cups packed basil

• 2 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts

• 2 tablespoons shelled walnuts

• 2 tablespoons white miso paste

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 tablespoons water

Steps:

1. Prepare the lemon basil sauce and place into the fridge until ready to use.

2. Rinse and drain the quinoa. Place the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium-sized pot and bring it to a boil. Salt the water. Once the quinoa is boiling, stir the contents, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

3. Allow the water to evaporate, remove the pot from the heat and cover quinoa with a lid for 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and set aside.

4. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a medium bowl and add Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the chickpeas evenly.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chickpeas and cook until tender, approximately 8 minutes. The pan will sizzle.

6. Assembly your salad using your preferred proportions. Place spring mix, quinoa, bell peppers (optional), cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and lemon basil sauce in a salad bowl and toss your salad. Enjoy!

Overview:

This salad is a beautiful powerhouse. Chickpeas are a good source of protein, fiber, manganese, and B9. Quinoa is a good source of protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and zinc. This meal is dense with healthy carbohydrates and will have you feeling satisfied after one bowl. Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants – you can get them all with this delicious salad bowl.