lemony chickpea quinoa (day 1, recipe 1 of three days of quinoa)

 

 Here's the very first thing I made for Three Days of Quinoa. I ate it for lunch today and it's tasty, flavorful but in a very mild way. Lemony Chickpea Quinoa reminds me of springtime, which is sad because today was another cold gray rainy day and I know I have quite a few more gray rainy days before even a hint of spring is in the air. But I think this recipe would taste great on a picnic under the trees in May, just because it's so light, with such a fresh, understated flavor.

And also, protein! Here, you're getting it from two sources: the quinoa AND the chickpeas. This recipe is good by itself as a lunch or dinner, but I also think it would make a great side for fish or chicken. 

Lemony Chickpea Quinoa

serves 2-4

total time: 15 minutes

total hands on time: 15 minutes

What you'll need:

2 (or 2.5) cups prepared quinoa

2 shallots, sliced

1.5 tsps garlic

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed

juice of one lemon

zest of one lemon

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2 tbsps chicken or vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

What you'll do:

1. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan, then add the garlic and shallots. Saute until soft.

2. Add the chickpeas, broth and lemon juice. You can add additional seasonings here, if you want. I used a bit of Spike seasoning, but salt and pepper work just fine.

3. Cook on low heat until liquid is somewhat reduced, but not totally dissapated. This will take 7-10 minutes.

4. Combine chickpea and shallot mixture with quinoa, then add fresh chopped parsley and lemon zest and mix well.

5. Season with additional salt and pepper if you want, or top with feta or goat cheese.

I plan to make this again using leeks in place of the shallots, just for a slightly different flavor. Making this reminded me to cook more often with shallots, though;  they're just a bit spicier than onions and I really dig that. I also might add in some asparagus or broccoli, or maybe some roasted cherry tomatoes. This recipe easily lends itself to variations, so try what you have on hand!

This is a post in my Three Days of Quinoa Challenge. Check out my other recipes in the challenge: Quinoa as Oatmeal, Spinach Quinoa Casserole,Cranberry Quinoa Muffins, Pear, Cranberry and Spinach Salad with Quinoa, and Savory Quinoa Cakes.