As versatile as quinoa is, we never thought it could taste this good! We love using this ancient seed in baked goods, fruit salads, soups and beyond… but this vegan-friendly salad ranks high on the list of our favorite quinoa recipes. Take one bite and your taste buds will go crazy over the flavorful fusion of fresh and dried herbs. This recipe encourages you to take a stab at sprouting your own beans (who knows… it may even become a new hobby!). Take this quinoa salad to work, a picnic, serve it as a side dish with dinner or load it up in a large lettuce leaf with sliced avocado for a light, crisp meal to end the day.
Ingredients
3/4 cup sprouted chickpeas*
1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
5-6 basil leaves, cut into ribbons
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup water
Juice of 1 large lemon
ground black pepper & salt, to taste
Directions
- Rinse quinoa 2-3 times. In pot, heat olive oil. Add quinoa and toast for 3-4 minutes.
- Add water, thyme and oregano; bring to boil. Cover and simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa and set aside.
- While quinoa cooks, steam sprouted chickpeas. In pan, warm a few tablespoons water and add chickpeas. Cover and steam 4-5 minutes or until softened.
- In large bowl, toss quinoa, steamed chickpeas, pine nuts, cranberries, cilantro and basil. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and combine. Garnish with fresh cilantro if you desire!
*To sprout raw chickpeas, soak overnight. Rinse and drain in the morning and tie them in a muslin cloth and place in a wide mouth container. Every 12 hours, rinse and drain the chickpeas. Make sure the cloth stays moist. They will sprout in 36-48 hours. Once chickpeas have sprouted, rinse them and spread on paper towel to dry and then use in the recipe.