Quinoa is another of those ancient grains that became trendy recently. A decade ago, it used to be found only at the back of grocery shelves, tucked away in obscure aisles. It has found renewed popularity now as a superfood and is ubiquitous in every grain bowl in every restaurant. Widely cultivated in South America for over 5000 years, quinoa comes in over a thousand varieties. It is a seed in the amaranth family, similar to samo (barnyard millet) and pigweed. Amaranth, or rajgira, is common in Maharashtra and has an elevated status as a ‘fasting’ food. Fasting foods are a group of grains, seeds, and vegetables that can be consumed on certain Hindu religious days, and include potatoes, tapioca, peanuts, and cucumbers.

I use quinoa mainly in salads and love the texture and nutty taste. I usually combine it with cooked black beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and some chopped greens or herbs; a dash of vinaigrette and it is a perfect working lunch. I love to eat it with pita or tortilla chips but the girls usually make a big bowl of quinoa salad and add some sliced avocados and grated carrots to it.

I got everything ready to make the salad and then realized that I was out of black beans but found a can of garbanzo or chickpeas sitting in the pantry. So decided why not, it’s still protein, has a mild taste and great texture. The result was delicious and something I have repeated a couple of times since then.

Step by Step

1. Measure 1 cup of quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse it under running water for a few seconds.
2. Place it in a pan on medium heat and add 2 cups of water (I had a few fresh cranberries left so I threw them in the pot as well, so pretty!).
3. Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas.
4. Ribbon or finely chop
   • 1 cup of spinach leaves
   • 1/2 cup of cilantro, stems and leaves
   • Handful of mint leaves
   • 1 cucumber, peeled
5. Prepare the dressing in a large bowl
   • 2 tbsp olive oil
   • 2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice
   • Crushed red pepper flakes (can substitute with red chili powder)
   • Salt and pepper to taste
   • 1 tsp cumin powder
   • Gently whip the dressing till it looks cloudy and thickens
6. Add the herbs, spinach, and chickpeas
7. Check the quinoa
8. When the water comes to a boil, turn the flame to low
9. Wait for all the water to be absorbed and turn off the heat
10. Let stand for a few minutes
11. Fluff with a fork
12. Add the cooked quinoa to the bowl
13. Give everything a good stir
14. Let it stand for 10 minutes or so to allow the quinoa seeds to soak up the dressing.
15. Serve with chips, bread or sliced avocado.

Some Tips

It is important to rinse quinoa before use because it has a natural coating called saponin, which can taste soapy.

You can add a combination of raw veggies, choose a couple from tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, or cucumbers; berries–raisins or cranberries (I love both but the girls prefer without); nuts–almonds or walnuts (we have one allergy child so I haven’t bought walnuts into the kitchen for over 20 years now, but they add a perfect crunch to this salad) to create variations with the base ingredients.

You can make this salad 2 days ahead of time as it keeps well in the fridge. This is a great salad to pack in lunches.

Print Recipe

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Refreshing, crunchy and filling with fresh herbs and spinach.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Keyword: chickpeas, cucumber, mint, quinoa, Salad

Servings: 6

Author: Madhavi

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa rinsed
• 2 cups water to cook the quinoa
• 1 can chickpeas can use fresh after soaking and cooking till soft
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves finely cut into ribbons
• 1/2 cup cilantro stems and leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves finely chopped
• 1 medium cucumber peeled and diced into small pieces

Salad Dressing

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt to taste
• 1 tsp pepper to taste
• 1 tsp cumin powder

Instructions

Cooking the quinoa

• Measure 1 cup of quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse it under running water for a few seconds.

  Place it in a pan on medium heat and add 2 cups of water.

  When the water comes to a boil, turn down the heat a little.

  Allow the quinoa to cook until all the water has been absorbed.

  Let stand uncovered for 5 mins.

  Fluff with a fork.

Herbs

• Ribbon or finely chop:

  1 cup of spinach leaves

  1/2 cup of cilantro, stems and leaves

  Handful of mint leaves

  1 medium sized cucumber, peeled and diced into small pieces

Make the salad dressing

• Add the following in a large bowl:

  Olive oil

  Fresh lemon or lime juice

  Crushed red pepper flakes

  Cumin powder

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Gently whip all the ingredients till the dressing looks cloudy and thickens a bit.
• Add the herbs and cooked quinoa to the bowl.

  Mix all the ingredients gently with a spatula.

  Check the taste and adjust the spices as needed.

  Serve immediately with chips.