Warm Quinoa Salad (gluten-free, non-dairy, vegan)

One of my favorite quick dinners is a quinoa salad. Here is a recipe for one I made last night, but it is so versatile and I frequently make up new versions using whatever I have on hand.

This dish contains garbanzo beans, which we buy in bulk and cook up ourselves. It's a lot cheaper this way, especially if buying organic beans (and tastes better, in my opinion!), and you can make a lot at once and store dinner-sized portions in the freezer. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are a great cheap source of protein, and they are high in fiber and iron.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is fairly new to our kitchen pantry, but it is an amazing food! It is considered an ancient grain, but technically a relative of leafy greens. Quinoa is also high in protein, but contains all 9 amino acids, making it one of few non-animal foods to have complete protein, the kind of protein typically only found in meats and dairy products. I love it because it is really convenient - it cooks up like rice but in nearly half the time. It is a must-have in any meatless or meat conscious diet.

Warm Quinoa Salad with Garbanzo Beans
Serves: 2-3
Prep/Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water (substitute all or part of this with vegetable or chicken stock for even better flavor)
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced (optional)
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (you can use canned, but rinse first)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil (or less)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 cup prize choy or kale, chopped, or another seasonal vegetable (chard, spinach, etc - be creative!) I had some prize choy from our weekly farm CSA distribution, so this was a great way to use it.

Instructions:
Before cooking, soak the quinoa in water for 5 minutes and then rinse well. This is essential to remove the natural saponin coating that is present especially on organic quinoa, as it will result in a bitter flavor.

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 c water (and/or stock), rinsed quinoa, sliced carrots (optional celery), and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, until water is absorbed, quinoa is translucent and you can see the germ ring on the outside of the grain.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet, and saute the garlic for a few minutes over medium heat. Add your leafy green veggie of choice (prize choy or kale) and saute until just wilted and a bright green color. Don't overcook! Remove from heat promptly, and set aside. Add the garbanzo beans to the hot skillet for 2-3 min or until heated through, adding 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.

When quinoa is finished cooking, add cumin, salt and mix through. Combine garbanzo beans and lime/balsamic liquid with the cooked quinoa, along with the cooked greens. Add green onions and mix it all together.

Experiment with your own favorite ingredients . Some chopped fresh herbs would be a great addition to this dish, so toss in some parsley, cilantro, or chives (I didn't have any this time). Another yummy option is to serve the warm salad over a bed of fresh arugula or other salad green. It's in season now, too! I adapted this recipe from one made with rice that I found over at the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. It is a great resource for gluten-free and dairy-free recipes.