First, the spice is optional, so if you're not into a little heat don't let that steer you away from this amazing salad. Here's why - It’s a fantastic light dinner that is surprisingly full of protein, and also holds up brilliantly for multiple days in the refrigerator making for the ultimate leftovers. Adding pumpkin seeds, quinoa and fresh herbs in your dressing make it extra special and even more complex when it comes to the flavors, ingredients and nutrients you’ll serve up on your plate.
Yield: 4 servings
Cook time: 25 minutes. Best served after marinating in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Make it extra kid friendly: Skip the jalapeño and cook more quinoa and chickpeas. Turn the entire salad into a wrap with a tortilla.
Prep in advance: This entire salad is delicious prepared in advance!
Ingredients
¾ cup uncooked quinoa
1 tsp salt, divided
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
2 tsp high-heat neutral flavored cooking oil
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp chili powder (optional based on your spice preferences)
3 cups broccoli florets
¾ cup pistachios or almonds
5-6 pitted dates
½ cup parsley, removed from stems
½ cup cilantro, removed from stems
2-3 Tbsp jalapeño (about half of a large pepper), seeds removed, divided
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove
8 mint leaves
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Preparation
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425°. Meanwhile, add the quinoa to a pot with ~1 and ½ cups of water and ½ tsp salt. Bring the water to a boil and once boiling, turn to low, cover and let simmer for ~15 minutes. After the quinoa is cooked, remove the pot from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Spread the chickpeas out on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Season with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and chili powder (if using). Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Step 3: On a large cutting board, chop ingredients for the salad. Start with the broccoli and roughly chop until the florets are in small bite sized pieces. Add to a large salad bowl. Continue with the pistachios (or almonds), dates, parsley, cilantro and 1 Tbsp of jalapeño.
Step 4: Make the salad dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, mint and remaining jalapeño in a food processor or blender. You can also blend in a bowl using an immersion blender. Blend on high and set aside until you’re ready to dress your salad.
Step 5: Add the roasted chickpeas and cooked quinoa to the broccoli salad and toss all together. Add the pumpkin seeds on top and dress with the salad dressing. Toss to combine. The salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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