It’s nearly March and I say it’s time to begin the countdown to spring. What higher solution to begin than with a model new, tremendous recent salad full of tons of candy and savory components.
This attractive chickpea arugula quinoa salad packs in 20g of protein and comes collectively in nearly half-hour. AKA welcome to your latest lunch obsession. You’ll toss the whole lot in the very best lemon French dressing, then add tons of yummy toppings and mix-ins like feta, dates, toasty almonds, and avocado.
Serve this as a facet with cozy principal dishes, or get pleasure from a simple, flavorful lunch through the week! I included nice methods to customise to your style choice, and any manner you do it up, you recognize it is going to be scrumptious.
Elements on this arugula quinoa salad
That is a type of clean-out-the-fridge salads that’s packing scrumptious flavors and textures. Freshness from arugula, herbs, and the sunshine lemon dressing, nuttiness from quinoa, and a mixture of candy and savory mix-ins. Right here’s what you’ll must make it:
- Quinoa: I combined it up through the use of tri-colored quinoa on this salad as a result of it provides a ravishing pop! You’ll be able to, after all, use white quinoa as a substitute, and see under for much more grain choices.
- For the dressing: we’re mixing collectively my go-to lemon French dressing made with recent lemon juice, olive oil, somewhat dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pink pepper flakes, sugar (or honey), and loads of black pepper.
- Produce: I like the zippy arugula paired with the entire flavors right here. You’ll additionally add recent parsley and diced pink onion.
- Chickpeas: we’re packing within the plant-based protein not solely with the quinoa, but in addition with a can of chickpeas!
- For the mix-ins: make this salad further particular with crumbled feta cheese, toasted or roasted almonds, Medjool dates, and creamy avocado.
Make this salad your manner
There are some tremendous straightforward methods you possibly can customise this arugula quinoa salad:
- Select your grain: not into quinoa? Be happy to make use of farro, pearl barley or pearl couscous.
- Decide your dried fruit: as a substitute of Medjool dates, chopped, dried apricots or dried cranberries could be scrumptious.
- Attempt completely different nuts: I like utilizing toasted almonds, however slivered almonds and even pistachios are nice. You’ll be able to completely omit them to maintain the salad nut free, too!
Can I make it vegan?
Completely! Hold the salad vegan and dairy-free by swapping in a dairy-free feta cheese or just omitting the cheese.
Add further protein
This arugula quinoa salad packs about 20g of plant-based protein from the chickpeas and quinoa, however you could possibly add further protein with cooked, diced hen like my Baked or Grilled Honey Mustard Hen, and even some cooked salmon like my Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon.
Toast your individual almonds
Get extra taste out of your sliced or slivered almonds by toasting them! There are two methods to do it:
- Stovetop methodology: Add your almonds to a pan and place over medium warmth, stirring often for 2-5 minutes till the nuts are barely golden brown. Take away from warmth and permit to chill earlier than including them to the salad.
- Oven methodology: Preheat the oven to 350 levels F. Place almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for six to eight minutes till aromatic and golden brown, stirring as soon as midway via baking. Watch fastidiously in order that the nuts don’t burn!
How one can retailer this arugula quinoa salad
As a result of arugula tends to bread down rapidly over time, this salad is finest loved day of. Wish to meal prep it for the week? Retailer the elements in separate hermetic containers within the fridge and assemble your portion if you’re able to eat!
Extra salad recipes you’ll love
Get all of my salad recipes right here!
I hope you’re keen on this chickpea arugula quinoa salad! If you happen to make it make sure to go away a remark and a score so I understand how you appreciated it. Get pleasure from, xo!
The
Bold Kitchen
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125 Ridiculously Good For You, Generally Indulgent, and Completely By no means Boring Recipes for Each Meal of the Day
Chickpea Arugula Quinoa Salad
Recent, satisfying chickpea arugula quinoa salad full of 20g of plant-based protein and prepared in simply half-hour. This straightforward arugula quinoa salad has a beautiful lemon French dressing and scrumptious mix-ins like feta cheese, toasted almonds, creamy avocado, and candy Medjool dates for bursts of taste and texture in each chew. The proper filling weekday lunch!
Elements
- For the quinoa
- 1 cup raw tri-colored quinoa
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the lemon French dressing
- ⅓ cup recent lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pink pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- Freshly floor black pepper
- For the salad
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chopped recent parsley
- ⅓ cup finely diced pink onion
- For serving
- 3 to 4 cups loosely packed arugula (about 3 ounces)
- 4 ounces feta, crumbled
- ½ cup roughly chopped toasted/roasted almonds (slivered toasted almonds are nice too)
- ½ heaping cup chopped Medjool dates or dried apricots (or sub dried cranberries)
- 1 barely ripe avocado, sliced or diced
- Freshly floor salt and pepper
Directions
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Cook dinner the quinoa: Place quinoa in a fantastic mesh strainer and rinse it beneath cool water for about 30 seconds. Switch quinoa to a medium pot, then add within the water and salt, and convey to a boil. As soon as boiling, scale back warmth to low, cowl, and let simmer for precisely quarter-hour. After quarter-hour, take away the pot from warmth and let it stand lined for an additional 5-10 minutes. Subsequent, fluff quinoa with a fork.
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Make the French dressing: In a small bowl or mason jar: add the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, garlic, salt, pink pepper flakes, sugar (or honey) and some grinds of pepper. Whisk till properly mixed and emulsified, or alternatively, place a lid on the jar and shake till properly mixed. Put aside.
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Put together the salad: In a big bowl, add the cooked quinoa, chickpeas, arugula, parsley and pink onion. Add in half of the dressing. Gently toss to coat. Subsequent add the feta, toasted almonds, dates and avocado on prime. Drizzle with the remaining dressing (about ¼ cup) or serve on the facet. Garnish with salt and pepper. If making and serving later, reserve toppings till it’s time to serve.
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To retailer: Hold any leftover salad in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 days. This salad can also be nice with leftover shredded or chopped hen.
Recipe Notes
To make vegan/dairy-free: Miss the feta or use a dairy-free feta.
Vitamin
Serving: 1serving (based mostly on 4)Energy: 681calCarbohydrates: 66.6gProtein: 20.9gFats: 39.7gSaturated Fats: 7.6gFiber: 13.4gSugar: 15.7g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Bold Kitchen | Pictures by: Eat Love Eats
