A nutritional powerhouse, quinoa is a simple way to add vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to our diet. It’s gluten-free and is very easy to digest. Perfect for desk lunches and weeknight meals, this easy quinoa salad is packed with a colourful mix of veggies, tossed together with chickpeas and mixed beans. It also comes with a light lemon, garlic dressing that packs a flavour punch to the dish. What better way to make the most out of season’s fresh produce than to enjoy a big, bountiful salad?
Healthy quinoa salad with lemon garlic dressing
Image Credit: Anas Thacharpadikkal/ Gulf News
Serves: 2
Prep and cooking time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup quinoa, boiled
- ½ cup chickpeas, boiled
- ½ cup mixed beans, boiled
- 1 cup mixed bell pepper, chopped
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup red onion, chopped
- Handful of coriander leaves
- 2-3 tbsp walnuts, chopped
- 3 tbsp feta cheese, crushed
For the dressing
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3-4 garlic pods, crushed
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Method
To prepare perfectly fluffy quinoa, combine 3/4 cup raw quinoa with one and a half cup water in a pot. Bring it to boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the water is absorbed. Remove the lid, fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside. This will give you about one and a half cup of cooked quinoa.
Take a large salad bowl and mix together the colourful bell peppers, quinoa, chickpeas, mixed beans and leaves.
For the sweet and tangy dressing, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, sugar, and crushed garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and garnish with crumbled feta and walnuts.
For ingredients, visit your nearest Choithrams outlet or buy online on Choithrams.com
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