Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

I'm not sure that I'll really get used to how hot it is here. Last summer was hot, no doubt, but something about this summer is just killing me. It could be the extra weight I'm sporting...also known as a baby... but part of it is probably that it got super hot much earlier than usual. We rarely turn on our oven and often even the grill is unappealing. This light salad was the perfect compliment to fresh cherries and a rotisserie chicken-something we'd probably eat a lot more of if I had the stomach to get the meat off the bones. Thanks goodness for Nick. (And that is not just a pregnancy thing, we'll see if I ever conquer that fear. He is more afraid I'll turn vegetarian.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)

1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half (I used Roma)

2 avocados diced

2 cups spinach

1 bunch cilantro, about 1 1/2 cups

1/4 cup onion

2 small cloves garlic

For the dressing

1 lemon, zested
juice of 2 lemons

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. cumin

dash of salt and pepper

Directions
 

1. Prepare quinoa by soaking a pot in the veggie broth for about 15 minutes. Over medium high heat, bring the quinoa to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer. Stir every so often, and cook quinoa for about 20-25 minutes just until the liquid absorbs. You don’t want it completely dried out, so when there is just a TINY amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from heat and put a lid on it. Set it aside, and prepare the rest of the salad.

2. In a food processor, add spinach and cilantro. Process the greens until they are finely diced.

3. Add the greens to a bowl, and set aside. Next, take onion and garlic and finely dice those (easy to do in the food processor), and add to the greens mixture. Add chickpeas and stir until everything is combined and coated. When quinoa is cooled, add it to the chickpea mixture.

4. Prepare the dressing by whisking ingredients together. Pour over salad, and mix until combined. Add in tomatoes and avocado and mix. Set in fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors set.

from The Diva Dish : Adapted from: Ohsheglows