Warm Quinoa Chickpea Salad

It’s official: I’m starting to feel like a human being again.  After nearly five days of not changing out of my pajamas, I finally put on real people clothes this morning and even dragged myself to work. I do feel sort of sorry for my colleagues, who are giving me a wide berth.  I promise…I’m packing Purell.

Feeling human again started with making this salad.  There are so many strong flavors in here you can’t help but wake up the taste buds.  And let’s face it: when you start tasting again – you start feeling and thinking again.  Or at least I do.  Recipe inspired by Food and Wine, but really, you can do this with anything you have in your fridge.

Warm Quinoa Chickpea Salad

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 bunches bok choy, chopped
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 red onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
• olive oil
• 2 oz feta cheese (goat also works)
• 3-4 scallions, chopped
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• a large handful parsley, chopped
• simple vinaigrette – I like a dash of olive oil, balsamic, garlic powder, cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper, crushed reds and just a splash of apple cider vinegar, whisked together

1. Rinse quinoa well; cook according to directions.
2. While quinoa cooks, prepare and chop all of your vegetables.  Whisk together your vinaigrette and set aside.
3. With about 3-5 minutes to go on your quinoa, heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Add minced garlic and chickpeas, cook about 2 minutes, or until chickpeas are warm.  Add bok choy and cook for a minute, then turn off the heat.
4. In a large bowl, add all of your ingredients together – quinoa, veggies, chickpea, etc.  Squeeze the lemon juice over the salad. Add the vinaigrette last and serve warm.

The Verdict:

This is the perfect meal.  It’s healthy, delicious, and oh-so-easy to make.  And the Husband, no quinoa lover, had TWO bowls.