Winter Dinner Salad with Chickpeas, Quinoa Tabbouleh, Pomegranate
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Recipe type: dinner salad
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3
 
A dinner salad for fall and winter with Middle-Eastern touches like quinoa tabbouleh, pomegranate, and spiced chickpeas
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dry)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup minced parsley
  • 1 lemon
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. curry powder
  • ¾# cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1 large head romaine lettuce
  • seeds of ½ pomegranate
Instructions
  1. Cook the quinoa. I cook a cup of dry quinoa and have some left for another purpose. For just this salad you would only need ½ cup of dry quinoa.
  2. Rinse the quinoa if it has not been pre-rinsed.
  3. Put in a pot with just over twice as much water as quinoa.
  4. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft. Let sit for 5 minutes, fluff.
  5. Meanwhile mince 5 cloves of garlic.
  6. Put the minced garlic in a small container with 5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil.
  7. Mince the parsley.
  8. Wash and shred the romaine lettuce.
  9. Peel the cucumber and cut it into ¾" cubes.
  10. Remove pomegranate seeds from the ½ pomegranate, peeling away any membrane.
  11. When the quinoa is done, combine 1 cup of quinoa with the minced parsley, 2 Tbs. olive oil (and minced garlic), 1 tsp. lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Set aside.
  12. Combine the 2 cups of cooked chickpeas with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, ½ tsp. turmeric, ½ tsp. curry powder, ½ tsp. smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
  13. Dress the lettuce with 2 Tbs. olive oil, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
  14. Assemble the salad in one big bowl or on individual plates.
  15. To make it on the plate, serve the lettuce onto the plates: otherwise, layer ingredients in the salad bowl.
  16. Sprinkle the quinoa tabbouleh over the lettuce.
  17. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, and chickpeas.
  18. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top.
  19. Finish with extra lemon juice and more salt and pepper if desired.
Recipe by Fit and Fed at http://fitandfed.net/2012/01/23/winter-dinner-salad-with-chickpeas-quinoa-tabbouleh-pomegranate/