This crispy chickpea and quinoa salad boasts lots of flavour, colour and is the perfect option for a healthy main or side dish. Plus, if you want an extra chickpea boost then serve with a healthy dollop of hummus on the side…. YUM!
Extra Crispy Chickpeas
There are two important things to remember if you want crispy roasted chickpeas. First of all they need to be as dry as possible before tossing in spices and oil. Secondly, you need to roast them for long enough for them to crisp up.
Drain one can of chickpeas and pat them dry with a clean cloth or kitchen paper. It is important that you remove as much water as you can otherwise this will create steam when you heat them which will keep them moist and prevent them getting crispy. One dried, toss them in the oil and you preferred spices and voila they are ready to roast.
The chickpeas will likely need at least 45 minutes in the oven on a high temperature before they get crispy. I find 50 minutes tends to be the perfect time for me but ovens can vary so if they need a bit more time then leave them roasting for a little longer.
Benefits of Chickpeas
Chickpeas are great source of fibre and vitamins and are a great way to bulk up a salad. Whilst they are not exactly low in calories, they do contain a relatively good amount of protein which is one of the reasons I love to incorporate them into my diet. As discussed in my article about losing weight, protein is a must have for repairing cells and maintaining muscle AND it helps keep you fuller for longer.
Protein
Proteins are basically chains of amino acids. Chickpeas are a great source of plant protein as they contain a wide range of amino acids, in fact it actually contains 8 out of the 9 essential amino acids. In fact, Quinoa which I have also included in this recipe contains the 1 missing amino acid. This means you are not missing out on anything with this recipe.
Fibre
In addition to protein, the chickpeas also contain a good amount of fibre. Fibre also helps you stay fuller for longer and more importantly it is great for your digestive system. Fibre rich foods help keep your bowel movements regular and healthy and aid the good bacteria in your gut.
Benefits of Quinoa
In addition to the chickpeas, quinoa is also a healthy staple that I suggest incorporating into your diet. Quinoa is technically a seed but usually classified as a wholegrain. It is actually perfect for anyone who is gluten intolerant and can be uses in so many recipes. It is low in calories and high in protein and fibre just like the chickpeas. In addition, it contains a large amount of other nutrients such as magnesium, phosphorus, folate and vitamin B6.
Quinoa is also know to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. This means it contains compounds that inhibits free radicals (basically unstable atoms) which can cause cell damage and can even lead to cancerous growths.
How to cook the perfect quinoa
If you want to incorporate more quinoa into your diet but you’re not sure how best to cook with it. I found an excellent article from Cookie and Kate on how to cook perfect quinoa. I use the exact same ratio with 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. I like to add spices in the water and this will give the quinoa a great colour and it will absorb all that amazing flavour.
Quinoa Salad Extras?
In addition to the chickpeas, this quinoa salad also contains a good range of veggies which makes it an even greater dish to add to your diet.
I have included cauliflower, pepper, broccoli, onions and more. If you want to sub anything in or out of this quinoa salad then feel free to experiment.
Because we are cooking the vegetables, this quinoa salad is great served hot but is equally good served cold as well. I think this is a great option for a pre-prepared lunch as it will keep you full all afternoon. Please note if you want the chickpeas to stay crunchy and are pre-paring this dish then you may want to keep them separate from the rest of the quinoa salad and mix them in last minute.
Quinoa Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- 1 can Chickpeas
- 1 Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- ½ Small Head Cauliflower
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Salad Tomato
- 100g Tenderstem Broccoli
- 1 Cup Spinach
- ½ Carrot Finely Grated
- 1 Handful Fresh Parsley
- 2 Spring Onions
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Dried Chives
- ½ tsp Celery Salt
- ½ tbsp Sugar
- Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 220° Celsius
- Drain the chickpeas and pat dry using a dry cloth or kitchen paper, it is worth drying the chickpeas as much as possible, otherwise they won't crisp up. Remove any separated shells that have fallen off.
- Place them on a baking tray and drizzle over the olive oil, using your hands, mix the chickpeas in the paprika and chilli powder and place in the oven. These can be baked until crispy, approximately 50 minutes.
- In a frying pan, melt the coconut oil on medium heat and then add the chopped onion with a large pinch of salt. Once softened add the sugar and leave to fry for a further 10-15 minutes.
- Place the cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water in a saucepan, along with the turmeric and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.
- Slice the bell pepper into strips and add to the frying pan with the crushed garlic cloves. Slice the cauliflower into thin chunks and add to the pan as well, along with the chives and celery salt. Top with the tenderstem and spinach and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
- Once the quinoa has absorbed the water, remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Mix together with the grated carrot and half of the chopped parsley.
- Serve the quinoa with the vegetables and sprinkle over the crispy chickpeas. Garnish with the rest of the chopped parsley and the sliced spring onions.
