Lemon Herb Quinoa Chickpeas
A vibrant, healthy quinoa dish with fresh herbs, chickpeas, and a zesty lemon dressing, perfect for a light meal or side with refreshing flavors and a protein boost.
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan for cooking quinoa
- 1 fine-mesh sieve for rinsing quinoa
- 1 large mixing bowl for combining ingredients
- 1 small bowl or jar for making dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa any color, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 can 15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
- 3-4 green onions scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- Optional: ½ cup diced cucumber
- Optional: ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- Optional: ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Optional: ¼ cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly using a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water for at least 30 seconds.
- In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed quinoa and vegetable broth or water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from heat and let the quinoa sit, covered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to steam.
- Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, finely chop parsley, mint, and dill, and thinly slice green onions; prepare optional vegetables if using.
- Rinse and drain chickpeas; optionally remove skins for creamier texture.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, chickpeas, herbs, green onions, and optional vegetables.
- Pour the lemon herb dressing over the mixture and gently toss to coat evenly without mashing the quinoa.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
- For best flavor, let the dish rest covered at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled, garnished with optional feta cheese, Kalamata olives, or fresh herb sprigs.
Notes
- Rinse quinoa well to remove bitterness.
- Let dish rest for flavors to meld.
- Optional feta and olives add salty contrast.
- Store leftovers covered in fridge up to 3 days.