This substantial whole-grain* and vegetable salad can serve as a meal's solo side dish or, with the addition of a little more protein (for example, some crumbled cotija cheese, or diced grilled chicken, or extra chickpeas), as an entrée.
*okay, technically, quinoa is a seed, but nutritionally, it is more akin to whole grains
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
2 cups water
1½ cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
Salt
5 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium English cucumber, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
Instructions
Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan; stir in quinoa and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to simmer; cook, uncovered, until water is absorbed and quinoa is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Add chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, green onions, and cilantro to quinoa, then pour ½ cup dressing over; toss to incorporate, adding remaining dressing as needed to coat all ingredients.
Just before serving, add ¼ cup pumpkin seeds and toss to incorporate, then sprinkle remainder over salad to garnish
I do not provide nutrition analyses of the recipes I post for various reasons, but mostly because I would rather not uphold diet culture messaging about choosing foods based on their caloric value or macronutrient composition. Humans survived for millennia without knowing the calorie and nutrient content of the foods they ate. They were fine – really.