Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Lemon, Celery and Carrots
There was a great series of recipes in the Recipes for Health section of the New York Times a few months back about what to do with all of that celery in the fridge. It’s true, celery is one of those vegetables that you need 1 stalk of, but are forced to buy a whole bunch. It lasts for a pretty long time in the fridge, but somehow I never end up using it all up. Having learned that it is a calming vegetable and therefore good for people with high blood pressure, not to mention its other health benefits, I really want to start exploring more ways to use it in my cooking.
Reading through the different recipes offered by the New York Times, I came up with my own, quinoa salad, a high protein grain with a wonderful nutty flavor, with chickpeas and celery. I added some lemon zest and lemon juice to jazz it up a bit, and carrots for their beautiful color. I love these whole grain salads, they are so simple to make and the perfect thing to take for lunch with you the next day.
Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Lemon, Celery and Carrots
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 stalks of celery, cut into thirds and chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- salt to taste
- extra-virgin olive oil for dressing
I usually make quinoa in the same way that I make rice. I’m pretty bad about rinsing my rice, as well as my quinoa, though it is recommended and probably a little tastier. Place quinoa in a small pot with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt, bring to a boil uncovered, once it has reached a boil, lower the heat and cover the pot, allowing it to steam for about 20 minutes, though you should check it every once in a while for doneness.
When the quinoa is cooked to perfection allow to cool by scooping it into a large bowl. Add the chickpeas while it is still warm and toss thoroughly. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Serve at room temperature.
Italicious 
Oh not heavy at all, I like to make them as a main course, so having a little more sustenance is perfect.
I am making a quinoa salad for a Shabbat lunch. I’ve made several variations before, but I’ve never thought of adding chickpeas. Do they make it heavy? Apart from adding fresh parsly, my recipe is the same