Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (185g) White or Tri-color Quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
  • 2 cups (475ml) Water or low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 0.5 tsp Sea salt
  • 1 can (15 oz / 425g) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup English or Persian cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 0.5 cup Red onion, very finely minced
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
  • 0.5 cup Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 0.5 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 0.25 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 clove Garlic, grated or pressed
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.125 tsp Black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir for 3 minutes until nutty and a few begin to pop to trigger the Maillard reaction.
  2. Add water and salt. Bring to a vigorous boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes to steam for maximum fluffiness.
  4. While quinoa cooks, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, mustard, and black pepper in a small jar to emulsify.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, and feta.
  6. Add the cooled quinoa to the bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss gently until the feta starts to slightly coat the grains.
  7. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the quinoa to soak up the vinaigrette, ensuring every bite is flavor packed.