Moroccan Salad with Quinoa and Chickpeas

deiv3

March 4

A Moroccan Salad with Quinoa and Chickpeas — soon to be your new favorite lunch! This healthy and hearty vegan quinoa chickpea salad is loaded with veggies and plant proteins, and pulled together with a bright and zippy lemon vinaigrette.

Recently, I meal prepped a double batch of the chicken salad. I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I knew I needed a second version, so I created a vegan version with crispy baked chickpeas.

This vegan Moroccan Salad is perfect for fall, when you need heartier meals to get you through the chilly days. This salad combines the best of fall and summer food.

It's layers of textures and flavors, with quinoa with crispy Moroccan spiced chickpeas, and sweet roasted beets and butternut squash. Mix that with fresh tomatoes and cucumber, and lots of fresh herbs, and we've got something pretty special on our hands.

What brings all the flavors together is a bright lemony vinaigrette. This dressing is so easy to make, and you'll find yourself pouring it on everything! Such a great way to add a pop of brightness and flavor to a meal.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Moroccan Quinoa Salad

Chickpeas (canned is fine! Learn how to cook chickpeas yourself, if you have dried garbanzo beans.)
Quinoa
Beets (fresh beets, peeled and chopped)
Butternut Squash
Cucumber
poatoes
Tomatoes
Parsley
Spices (Cumin, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon)
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
White Wine Vinegar
Honey
Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper
HOW TO MAKE A MOROCCAN SALAD WITH SPICED CHICKPEAS
The blend of spices coating these chickpeas is what really takes this salad over the top! Cooking with spices not only adds flavor, but also antioxidants with powerful anti inflammatory properties.
Step 1: Combine spices in a small bowl. Drizzle the chickpeas with olive oil, then toss to coat in the spices.Step 2: Add the spiced chickpeas, beets, and butternut squash to a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes, until the chickpeas have a crunchy exterior and the vegetables are soft throughout.
Step 3: While the vegetables are roasting, add all the dressing ingredients to a jar, and shake to combine. Steam quinoa based on package directions.
Step 4: Layer cooked quinoa with the roasted chickpeas and vegetables. Add in the fresh cucumber, tomatoes, and parsley. Drizzle with the dressing an toss to combine.
TIPS FOR VEGAN QUINOA CHICKPEA SALAD
MEAL PREP THIS SALAD (OR PREP TO HAVE LEFTOVERS!)
Step 1: Roast Chickpeas, beets and butternut, as in recipe.
Step 2: Layer quinoa, roasted veggies, and chickpeas in containers, and drizzle with the dressing. Keep the tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs in a separate container, and mix together before serving. This keeps the veggies from getting soggy from sitting in the dressing for too long.
HOW TO PREPARE QUINOA
Quinoa is cooked similarly to rice. Add 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of cold water to a saucepan. Bring to a low boil over medium high heat. Once it's boiling, cover it with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Allow to steam for about 15-20 minutes, until all liquid is gone.