Description
A healthy and easy meal prep recipe perfect for road trips, featuring a nutrient-packed quinoa salad with crispy chickpeas, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, and a creamy tahini dressing. This wholesome dish is not only delicious but also simple to prepare and ideal for on-the-go nutrition.
Ingredients
Scale
Grains & Legumes
- 2 cups quinoa
- 2 cups chickpeas
Vegetables & Fruits
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 cup red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup baby spinach
Dressing & Condiments
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup hummus
Cheese
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
Nuts & Seeds & Dried Fruit
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Rinse Quinoa: Rinse the quinoa under cold water thoroughly to remove any excess starch and impurities.
- Cook Quinoa: In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer Quinoa: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed and quinoa is tender.
- Rest Quinoa: Remove the saucepan from heat and let the quinoa sit, covered, for 5 minutes to finish steaming.
- Fluff Quinoa: Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork to separate the grains and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Cook Chickpeas: While quinoa cools, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chickpeas, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are golden brown and slightly crispy.
- Prepare Vegetables: Slice cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on size, dice the peeled cucumber, thinly slice red onion, chop fresh parsley, and cube avocado. Squeeze some lemon juice over avocado to prevent browning.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, crispy chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and feta cheese.
- Add Dressing: Drizzle the prepared tahini dressing over the salad and toss gently to evenly coat all ingredients.
- Top Salad: Sprinkle almonds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries on top of the salad for added texture and flavor.
- Add Greens: Add baby spinach leaves to the salad and gently toss all ingredients together until well incorporated.
- Serve: Serve individual portions with a dollop of hummus on the side to complement the flavors.
- Meal Prep: For meal prepping, pack the salad into airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
Notes
- Rinsing quinoa helps remove its natural bitterness.
- Cook chickpeas until slightly crispy for better texture.
- To keep avocado from browning, toss it with a little lemon juice right before serving.
- This salad stores well refrigerated for up to 4 days, making it perfect for meal prep.
- Adjust seasoning as per taste preference before packing for travel.
