Quinoa Salad with Raisins and Chickpeas [vegetarian]

When I came across the original recipe for this salad, I straight away knew I was going to exchange the couscous for quinoa. And it is not that I am not keen on couscous – I like it a lot – but using the quinoa turned this salad into a very healthy lunch dish containing complete vegetarian proteins.

But this salad is not only healthy, it is also delicious. It has sweetness of raisins, nutty taste of chickpeas and saltiness of feta cheese. It also contains coriander in two forms: whole seeds that give a crunch and leaves that give wonderful fragrance. This salad can be prepared in the evening and enjoyed for lunch at work or school next day.

INGREDIENTS (2-4 portions):

0.5 cup quinoa,

a drop of olive oil,

1 cup of water,

1 tin chickpeas (or 200g cooked chickpeas),

100g raisins,

2 tsp coriander seeds,

zest of 1 lemon,

2 handfuls of chopped coriander leaves,

200g feta cheese,

Dressing:

3 tbsp olive oil,

2 tbsp lemon juice,

0.5 tsp ground cumin,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Prepare the quinoa: put it to a fine mesh strainer, rinse it well (for at least 1 minute) under running water and drain well. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pot over a medium heat and fry the drained quinoa for about 1 minute till the rest of the water evaporates. Add water, 0.25 tsp salt and bring to boil. Lower the heat and cook for approx. 15 minutes. Take it out from the heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes more. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
2. Put to a bowl cooked quinoa, chickpeas, raisins, coriander seeds and leaves, zest of lemon and stir.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad, stir well, check the seasoning and if necessary adjust.
4. Serve with crumbled feta cheese on top.

This recipe is based on a recipe from a book "Fresh Flavors from Israel" by R. Oliver, O. Pely-Bronshtein, S. Lipa-Angel