It’s nearly March and I say it’s time to start out the countdown to spring. What higher option to begin than with a model new, tremendous contemporary salad full of tons of candy and savory parts.
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 perfect lemon French dressing, then add tons of yummy toppings and mix-ins like feta, dates, toasty almonds, and avocado. However my favourite half? You may completely make this your individual.
Serve this as a facet dish with cozy principal dishes, or get pleasure from a straightforward, flavorful lunch in the course of the week! I included nice methods to customise to your style choice, and any manner you do it up, you understand it is going to be scrumptious.
Elements on this arugula quinoa salad
That is a kind 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 an attractive pop! You may, in fact, use white quinoa as a substitute, and see beneath for much more grain choices.
- For the dressing: we’re mixing collectively my go-to lemon French dressing made with contemporary lemon juice, olive oil, a little bit dijon mustard, garlic, salt, purple pepper flakes, sugar (or honey), and loads of black pepper.
- Produce: I like the zippy arugula paired with all the flavors right here. You’ll additionally add contemporary parsley and diced purple 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 additional 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’ll be able to 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 can be scrumptious. Chopped apples or sliced grapes can be pleasant, too!
- Attempt totally different nuts: I like utilizing roasted chopped almonds, however slivered almonds, marcona and even pistachios are nice. You may completely omit them to maintain the salad nut free, too!
- Change up the cheese: Whereas this recipe requires feta, I feel a goat cheese or manchango could possibly be pretty swap as properly.
Can I make it vegan?
Completely! Maintain the salad vegan and dairy-free by swapping in a dairy-free feta cheese or just omitting the cheese.
Add additional protein
This arugula quinoa salad packs about 20g of plant-based protein from the chickpeas and quinoa, however you possibly can add additional protein with cooked, diced rooster like my Baked or Grilled Honey Mustard Rooster, and even some cooked salmon like my Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon. I like rotisserie rooster on this one too!
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 technique: Add your almonds to a pan and place over medium warmth, stirring sometimes 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 technique: 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 by way of baking. Watch fastidiously in order that the nuts don’t burn!
The best way to retailer this arugula quinoa salad
As a result of arugula tends to bread down rapidly over time, this salad is finest loved day of. Need to meal prep it for the week? Retailer the components in separate hermetic containers within the fridge and assemble your portion while you’re able to eat!
Extra salad recipes you’ll love
Get all of my salad recipes right here!
I hope you like this chickpea arugula quinoa salad! Should you make it you should definitely go away a remark and a score so I understand how you preferred it. Get pleasure from, xo!
The
Bold Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Generally Indulgent, and Completely By no means Boring Recipes for Each Meal of the Day
Chickpea Arugula Quinoa Salad
Contemporary, 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 right 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 contemporary lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon purple 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 contemporary parsley
- ⅓ cup finely diced purple 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 superb mesh strainer and rinse it below 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 coated for one more 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, purple 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 purple 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: Maintain 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 rooster.
Recipe Notes
To make vegan/dairy-free: Miss the feta or use a dairy-free feta.
Diet
Serving: 1serving (primarily based on 4)Energy: 681calCarbohydrates: 66.6gProtein: 20.9gFats: 39.7gSaturated Fats: 7.6gFiber: 13.4gSugar: 15.7g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Bold Kitchen | Images by: Eat Love Eats