Lemon-Walnut Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
Bright, zesty, and packed with wholesome goodness, this Lemon-Walnut Quinoa & Chickpea Salad is a flavor-packed delight. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a quick yet impressive dish that’s perfect for busy days or last-minute gatherings.
Ingredients
For the lemon walnut oil dressing:
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon honey, agave, or brown rice syrup
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
For the salad:
- 2 cups arugula or other leafy greens
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups just-cooked quinoa
- ½ can chickpeas drained and rinsed (3/4 cup)
- 3 or 4 radishes sliced
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup chopped chives
- ¼ cup chopped basil
- ¼ cup cotija, ricotta salata, or feta cheese chopped
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Whisk together the walnut oil, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, honey, and pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the arugula and garlic followed by your cooked warm quinoa. Toss until incorporated. The arugula will wilt slightly, which is what you want. (If you’re using salad greens, I would wait to add them until the end, I like arugula slightly wilted, salad greens, not. Raw slightly-wilted kale would also be good here).
- Add the chickpeas, radishes, sun dried tomatoes, walnuts, chives, basil, and cheese to the bowl and pour the dressing on top. Toss and taste. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. I finished this with another drizzle of walnut oil and some shaved parmesan over individual bowls.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!