How I love a good quinoa salad, especially a fresh summer one. I’ve seen this recipe splashed all over Pinterest courtesy of the fabulous Diva Dish and have tried it a few different ways but the original is definitely the best! (In case you are interested, I tried it with pasta, instead of quinoa. I tried basil, instead of cilantro. And I tried lime, instead of fresh lemon.) This was so easy to whip up and goes great with grilled chicken, which is what we paired it with, along with a caprese salad with fresh basil from our little city garden – a pot on the porch. I renamed it the Guacamole Quinoa Salad because the ingredients are so similar to guacamole which is my FAVE!!!
Guacamole Quinoa Salad (Recipe from Diva Dish)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 C. dry quinoa
- 2 C. vegetable broth
- 1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 2 avocados diced
- 2 C. spinach
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/4 C. onion
- 2 small cloves garlic
For the dressing:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. agave nectar
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- dash of salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Make your quinoa according to directions (I use broth rather than water to add more flavor and I also don’t rinse it before hand – it’s a pain, it’s never worked for me and I haven’t died yet so I think your safe to skip that part… Just sayin’)
2. In a food processor, add your spinach and cilantro. Make sure to wash you greens. (I didn’t wash my cilantro well enough and we were chewing on sand the throughout our entire dinner – not pleasant! (She even says to wash thoroughly in her directions! I never listen…)
4. Add the greens to a bowl, and set aside. Next take your onion and garlic and finely dice those (I do this in the food processor too), and add to the greens mixture. Next add your chickpeas and stir until everything is combined and coated. If the quinoa is cooled, you can add it to the chickpea mixture next.
5. Make your dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Pour over salad, and mix until combined. Add in tomatoes and avocado and mix. Set in fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors set.
