Herbed Quinoa & Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Can you say HELLO SPRING?!

Wherever you are reading this, I hope that you are enjoying the sun and warmth that has finally (FINALLY!) hit the city. Living in Montreal, Canada, where it feels like 6 months of the year is winter, we are all ecstatic when it finally gets warm.

Its an instant mood lift, instant energy injection, and instant desire to spring clean and lighten up the food in the house. OK maybe you're not itching to do spring cleaning, but this is my jam! I LOVE going through my wardrobe and swapping clothes, getting rid of things and overall deep cleaning - so satisfying! (Tell me I'm not the only one!)

So making menus every week for the women in The FitMama Method program has been so much fun, and things have shifted now as we're starting to eat more seasonal, fresher foods and ditching the heartier, stewier ones.

I was so excited to put this salad together. All the fresh herbs, the light and tangy dressing, and plant-based protein make this an easy weeknight meal, or backyard BBQ crowd pleaser - with social distancing of course (Are you not SO excited for BBQ season?! I AM!)

Give this a go, and let me know what you think in the comments below. You're feedback helps me tweak and refine my recipes, and helps me give you more of what YOU want. So take a second if you make it to leave a comment - it really means the world to me!

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Herbed Quinoa & Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Active Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 25 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed in a fine mesh colander

• 3 cups water

• 2 - 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

• 1 large carrot, peeled & shredded

• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled

• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

Lemon-Tahini Dressing:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup lemon juice, to taste

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a medium pot, add rinsed quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to low and simmer until quinoa has absorbed all the water and fluffs easily with a fork.

2. Make the dressing: add all ingredients in a bowl, and use a whisk to combine as tahini tends to be thicker (use some elbow grease here!). Taste and adjust with more lemon juice if you want it tangier.

3. Prep the spinach, carrot and fresh herbs. Once the quinoa is cooked, transfer it to a large bowl, then add the veggies and herbs, feta, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds.

4. Add the dressing, and toss to coat.

5. Make your bowl: Add 2-3 cupped handfuls salad to your bowl. Enjoy!

*NOTES:

• WEIGHT/FAT LOSS GOAL: start with 2 cupped handfuls salad

• MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: substitute sliced olives for feta OR omit altogether

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