Mediterranean toasted quinoa salad ~ chickpeas, roasted red peppers & herbs
Roast
Roasting
A Mediterranean salad that hits all the right flavors and textures is always welcome around here. This one is crunchy, creamy, toasty, tangy and bright. Lemony salads are wonderful year round. I particularly love them in winter, when most of us long for something lively, fresh and green. While tomatoes are tasteless in winter, red bell peppers, lemons and cucumbers are usually fine. Herbs seem to always be available on my supermarket shelves too. <br /> <br />This crisp salad makes a nice lunch or light dinner with warm pita, some crumbled feta and briny olives. A sprinkling of crunchy sea salt and toasted nuts on the top is a good idea too. <br /> <br />The smoky and toasty flavors of the roasted peppers and quinoa play against the tang of the lemon, the freshness of the herbs, the crunch of the cucumbers and the creaminess of the beans. Toasting the quinoa before cooking it brings out its nuttiness and enhances its flavor. Toasted quinoa is a good thing. Quinoa is gluten free and high in protein, giving the salad more nutritional value. <br /> <br />If chickpeas aren't your thing, swap them for white beans. For that matter, most fresh herbs will work here, such as basil or tarragon. Instead of roasting your own peppers, pick up a jar of them to use in this recipe. I love real roasted peppers so much more than the jarred kind, though. Scallions are less harsh than onions, I prefer them in my chopped salads. <br />
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