QUINOA & SPICED CHICKPEAS SALAD RECIPE

I love eating salads for lunch and dinner, so I always try new combinations to make tasty and filling salad. Quinoa & Spiced Chickpeas Salad Recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner and can also be enjoyed as side dish. This salad is packed with veggies and flavour. Also it is perfect dose of fiber, protein and carb. You can prepare this salad with some leftover quinoa and chickpeas. So on weekends just prepare a big batch of quinoa and then you can prepare many delicious dishes using the same.

This Quinoa & Spiced Chickpeas Salad contains chickpeas and quinoa and both are great source of protein for vegans and vegetarians. Also chickpea contains good amount of fiber and as we all know fiber helps in normalizing bowel movements. This salad is vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy this salad. It is good for kids too as it is packed with veggies and all the good stuff.

Chickpeas, like all legumes, are a form of complex carbohydrate that the body is able to slowly digest and use for energy. This is essential, as all carbohydrates are not created equal; some quickly raise blood sugar levels and lead to spikes and dips in energy, while others do the opposite and give us sustained fuel.

This Quinoa & Spiced Chickpeas Salad has different elements, but the preparation is a simple process. First is quinoa, after the quinoa is cooked, it is mixed with some sautéed veggies like onion, mushroom and bell peppers. You can use veggies of your choice. Second is spiced chickpeas. I absolutely love the flavour that spices add to chickpeas and adding spiced chickpeas to quinoa makes a delicious combination. Last part is the raw veggies. I have used chopped lettuce, tomatoes and instead of chopping carrot, I have made carrot ribbons using spiralizer. Spiralized carrot gives nice look to the whole Quinoa & Spiced Chickpeas Salad.

INGREDIENTS
1 Cup quinoa
1 Cup cooked chickpeas
7-8 Lettuce leads
2 Large carrot
18-20 Cherry tomatoes
1/2 Cup sliced mushroom
1 Bell pepper sliced
1 Large onion sliced
2 Teaspoons oil
1/4 Teaspoon turmeric
1/4 Teaspoon chilli powder or paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1 To cook quinoa, bring water to boil and add rinsed quinoa. Then lower down the heat to simmer and cook quinoa for 15-20 minutes.
STEP 2 While the quinoa is cooking, lets prepare spiced chickpeas. Heat one teaspoon oil in a pan, then add chickpeas, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and pepper to taste.
STEP 3 Cook for few minutes till the spices are fully mixed with the chickpeas.
STEP 4 Now lets prepare sautéed veggies to mix with quinoa. Heat the remaining one teaspoon oil in a pan and add onion and bell pepper, cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add mushroom and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix it with cooked quinoa.
STEP 5 Lastly chop lettuce, tomato and spiralize carrot.
STEP 6 For serving the salad. Make bed of lettuce and carrot, then add quinoa with veggies, spiced chickpeas and finally tomatoes and enjoy!