Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

Method

1. 01

   Step 1: Rinse the quinoa

   Tip the quinoa into a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water for 1–2 minutes, rubbing it with your fingers, until the water no longer foams. This washes off the bitter natural coating.

2. 02

   Step 2: Cook the quinoa

   Put the quinoa in a saucepan with the 300 ml water and salt and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 12–13 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and each grain shows a thin white ring.

3. 03

   Step 3: Cool it down

   Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread thinly on a large plate to cool to room temperature; warm grains will wilt the herbs.

4. 04

   Step 4: Chop the vegetables

   While the quinoa cools, drain, rinse and pat dry the chickpeas. Dice the cucumber into 1 cm cubes, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the onion as thinly as you can. Finely chop the parsley and mint.

5. 05

   Step 5: Make the dressing

   In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper until combined. Drop in the onion and leave for 5 minutes to soften and lose its harsh bite.

6. 06

   Step 6: Toss and serve

   Add the quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes and herbs and toss gently until everything is coated. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed. Serve straight away, or let it stand for 10 minutes so the flavours come together.