Roasted Broccoli, Chickpea & Quinoa Salad

Sometime ago, I was chatting with a coworker about quinoa and she commented on her severe dislike of the grain-like seed. "Hate quinoa? What! How?" I could not understand how or why she did not like it because quinoa is not only super healthy, it's also really filling and easy to make.

For example, quinoa is packed with anti-inflammatory phytonutrients (keeping in mind that inflammation is a root cause of many sicknesses and diseases), it has a high heart-healthy fat content, it provides a small amount of omega-3 fatty acid, and it's also a complete protein source (provides all essential amino acids). It's basically a superfood!

After discussing the topic with my coworker a bit longer, I quickly discovered that she had chosen to eat quinoa bland as a side dish, which is certainly the worst way to enjoy quinoa because it's practically flavourless without added spices or sauces. This Roasted Broccoli and Chickpea Quinoa Salad is the perfect example of how to eat quinoa the right way; this salad is hearty, filling and flavourful, particularly with the tart dijon-honey-lemon dressing. I plan to share the recipe with my old coworker in hopes that she will give quinoa another chance ;).

If you too are a quinoa skeptic, try this salad out and let me know what you think! I enjoyed it as a lunch throughout the week and found that I could get five bowls out of it. Roasted Broccoli & Chickpea Quinoa Salad

Vegan Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30-40 minutes Yield: 1 large salad bowl (6+ servings, great for a BBQ to share) or, try cutting it in half if you'd like a smaller salad of 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 broccoli heads, cut into small bite-size pieces (or 1 cup for half-size)

• 4 cups quinoa, cooked (1 1/3 cups dry) (or 2/3 cup dry for half-size)

• 2 14oz cans of chickpeas, strained (or 1 can for half-size)

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (or 1/4 cup for half-size)

• 3 teaspoons olive oil (or 1.5 for half-size)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1/2 teaspoon for half-size)

• salt and pepper

Dressing:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 cloves for half-size)

• juice of 1 large lemon (or juice of 1/2 lemon for half-size)

• 5 tablespoons of French's dijon mustard (or 2.5 spoons for half-size)

• 3-4 tablespoons unpasteurized honey (or 1-2 spoons for half-size)

• 6 tablespoons olive oil (or 3 spoons for half-size)

• salt and pepper for taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Next, cook your quinoa. In a pot add 1 1/3 cups dry quinoa with 2 2/3 cups water (or add 2/3 quinoa with 1 1/3 cups water if you're making the half-size). Bring to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Fork fluff and allow to cool.

3. While your quinoa is cooking you can strain both cans of chickpeas. Wipe the chickpeas off with paper towel or a cloth in order to make them as dry as possible. Wash and cut broccoli into florets.

4. In a medium bowl toss all chickpeas with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Evenly coat the chickpeas as best you can and place on a baking tray.

5. In a medium bowl toss the broccoli florets with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Lay broccoli florets out on a second baking tray. Put both trays in the oven, tossing and flipping the chickpeas and broccoli florets every 7-8 minutes.

6. Roast broccoli for approximately 15 minutes, and roast chickpeas for approximately 25-30 minutes (depending on how hot your oven is).

7. While the chickpeas and broccoli florets are roasting, prepare your dressing by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Keep in mind the recipe can be adjusted for taste, and amounts may vary slightly according to which kind of dijon mustard you are using.

8. Allow chickpeas and broccoli to cool once removed from oven. Then, mix together quinoa, broccoli and chickpeas in a large salad bowl.

9. If you plan to serve the entire salad all at once, pour dressing all over, add in full amount of almond slices, and stir and serve. If you are enjoying this salad one bowl at a time, only add a few teaspoons of dressing and a handful of almonds.

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