Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Kalamata Olives & Mint Recipe Recipe
If you loaded the amount of quinoa our family eats in one year into a small boat, that vessel would sink to the bottom of the sea faster than you could say “healthy mini grain” five times fast. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is actually healthy; I didn’t just make that up. It is a complete protein source, plus it packs a punch with its fiber and iron content. Not too shabby for a grain that only takes 20 minutes to cook and can be livened up with flavors such as lime and chipotle peppers or cumin and orange.
With a mint plant that is trying its darnedest to bust out of its pot, we started to use the fragrant leaves in drinks, salads and desserts (think Watermelon Mojito Sorbet). In this recipe, it is mixed with protein-rich chickpeas and briny kalamata olives to make a light salad that can be served either as a side dish or vegetarian entree.
Don’t forget to enter my Blendtec giveaway for a chance to win a fantastic Blendtec blender.
The recipe:
In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa well and drain.
In a medium pot, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff the quinoa and transfer to a cookie sheet, spreading the quinoa in a thin layer, to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together cooled quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes and kalamata olives. Stir well.
For the dressing, whisk together white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, slow pour in olive oil until combined.
Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad, toss to coat and stir in fresh mint. Serve.
- Other quinoa salad recipes:
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Black Quinoa Salad with Orange & Cumin Dressing
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn with Chipotle Pepper & Lime Dressing
- Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Radishes, Cucumbers & Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
- Family Fresh Cooking’s Quinoa with Blood Orange and Basil
- Gluten-Free Goddess’ Quinoa Salad with Blueberries, Strawberries & Watermelon
- Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Kalamata Olives & Mint
- From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck.
- Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
- Vinaigrette:
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large mint leaves, thinly sliced
Instructions
In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa well and drain.
In a medium pot, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff the quinoa and transfer to a cookie sheet, spreading the quinoa in a thin layer, to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together cooled quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes and kalamata olives. Stir well.
For the dressing, whisk together white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, slow pour in olive oil until combined.
Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad, toss to coat and stir in fresh mint. Serve.
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