Curried Quinoa Chickpea Salad

By Julia Howard, MPH, RHN

Curried Quinoa Chickpea Salad

I came across this salad several years ago as I was first learning how to use quinoa and I’ve tweaked it a bit since. The beauty of this salad is that the flavours of the spices in the dressing continue to deepen and blend the longer it stays in the fridge. I find it tastes best after a day or so.

If you’re like me, you find quinoa a bit flavourless so it’s not typically my first choice of grain, although it is higher in protein than most grains. This salad is a great way to use up that big bag of quinoa that’s been hanging out in your cupboard.

I like to make it as a light lunch or as a side dish at a barbecue. Note: This recipe will fill a very large bowl!

I will sometimes use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar for a slightly different flavour. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you could try fresh parsley instead for some extra green.

Curried Quinoa & Chickpea Salad

Salad Ingredients

  • 2 cups quinoa (dry)
  • 4 cups veggie broth (e.g., Pacific Foods organic vegetable broth)
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
  • 1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped.

Dressing Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced or 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • Sea salt to taste

Directions

  • Cook 2 cups of quinoa in 4 cups of broth.
  • While quinoa is cooking, prepare other ingredients and combine in a large bowl.
  • When quinoa is finished cooking and has cooled, add together ingredients in a large bowl and combine well.
  • Make dressing in a separate container, mix well, and then add to the salad.
  • Eat at room temperature immediately or cover and keep in the fridge for a few days.

Enjoy!

~Julia

If you’re confused about nutrition or have some nutrition goals you need help with, we offer online nutrition coaching!

I came to JKC through recommendations from my peers from lululemon. As a current ambassador, I’ve been introduced to legacy ambassadors, like Jon, and I knew a bunch of other people from the store were working out here so I wanted to give it a go. I often dread lower body workouts so I started coming here to do legs. I’ve had such great progress that I now come twice a week— and, I no longer hate leg day!

I’ve never experienced this sort of hybrid between group workouts and personalized service. Many group strength training services offer a sort of one-size-fits-all workout for the general population, which has never been of interest to me, because I want my workout tailored to my needs! I LOVE that you can be in a group setting while doing your own personal program; I love the camaraderie and community at JKC, and, I’ve seen incredible results thus far! Jon is always so attuned to what I need.

After my children were born, I was completely out of shape. I had been active before my first pregnancy in 2008. I saw a post on social media about a charity event that was hosted at the gym. It prompted me to check out the JKC website. I was immediately impressed by the professional content and decided to give it a try. The professionally crafted and uniquely tailored work outs, as well as the sense of accountability and commitment that they foster. I have not missed a workout since joining – contrary to other experiences I have had when purchasing gym memberships. The flexibility of booking and rescheduling workouts, made easy by an online app, also contributed to my success in meeting my fitness goals.

I enjoy every session, working out with Jon, Thomas and Craig, as well as the “JKC Community”. Anytime someone achieves a personal best, I enjoy the celebration and support everyone gives each other. For me, I fondly remember achieving personal bests on bench press, chin ups and the sled push, in particular.

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