now, when i hear that something is a 'salad,' i am
i usually think of a sad, wilt-y salad, with sad white dressing.
believe it or not, but i dont care for spinach, lettuce, kale, ect. i will eat them, but NEVER just as a salad!
well, the other night, blake made an AMAZING salad.
[on top of not loving salads, i also dont love leftovers!]
[but this one was a winner on both accounts!]
Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad
original recipe found here // vegan modifications made by blake
[ps : this is a healthy powerhouse! lots of protein, healthy fats, tons of whole grains & veggies!]
[please dont get discouraged by the amount of ingredients ; its so easy & delish]
what you need :
*1/2 cup dry quinoa
*2 cups veggie broth [ours is organic vegetable brother from trader joes]
*1 can garbanzo beans [chickpeas!!]
*1 cup tomatoes, cut in half
*1 avocado, diced
*1 cup spinach [add another cup if you love it]
*1 bunch of cilantro [we bought fresh from trader joes]
*1/4 cup onion, chopped
*2 cloves of garlic
for the dressing :
*juice from 2 lemons
*zest from one lemon
*2 teaspoons dijon mustard [we just left this out = didnt have it]
*2 teaspoons olive oil
*1 teaspoon agave nectar [you can use a bit of maple syrup of you dont have agave]
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*salt & pepper
how to do it :
1) make quinoa according to the package directions
2) put spinach & cilantro in food processor//blender ; chop til super fine
3) put greens in bowl ; set aside. dice garlic & onion and add to greens mixture. next, add chickpeas [make sure you have rinsed them off, first!] while quinoa is cooling, make your dressing.
4) whisk all of your 'dressing' ingredients together. add quinoa to greens mixture. add dressing.
5) toss in the fridge for 10-15 minutes so all the flavors can hang out and mix together.
this is honestly one of the best things we have made yet!
so delish.
