Protein-rich salad with grains, chickpeas, cucumber, feta, herbs, and toasted nuts for a fresh, satisfying dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa or bulgur
02 - 2 cups water for cooking grains
→ Legumes
03 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 large cucumber, diced
05 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
→ Dairy
06 - 3/4 cup (about 100 g) crumbled feta cheese
→ Herbs
07 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
→ Nuts & Seeds
09 - 1/3 cup pistachios or slivered almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
→ Dressing
10 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
# Method:
01 - Rinse the quinoa or bulgur thoroughly. Combine with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender—approximately 12 minutes for quinoa or 15 minutes for bulgur. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa or bulgur, chickpeas, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion, crumbled feta, chopped parsley, chopped mint, and toasted nuts.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to combine all flavors evenly.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature as desired.
