Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Light

I am inundated with chickpeas! Since I keep forgetting to buy lemon juice so I can make hummus, I decided to add some to another salad. So today for lunch I made myself a balsamic quinoa salad.

I started by making a 1/2 C batch of crispy spicy chickpeas (see previous post). Then in a bowl I combined...

2 C Cooked quinoa
2 T Newman's Own Light Balsamic Dressing
1/3 Cucumber, chopped
1/2 Tomato, chopped (I used to hate raw tomato, but it's a staple for me now)
1/3 C Mozzarella, cut in to small cubes

I scooped 1 C of this salad, with the chickpeas, on to a bed of lettuce. When making this salad, don't forget to chill the quinoa first. I thought it was cool enough and ended up with mostly melted bits of cheese. It was still good, though. The combination of textures was delicious. I have been working on this recipe since this summer, and I think I finally have it where I want it. This salad is refreshing and flavorful.

Quinoa is a crunchy little powerhouse. In a 1 C serving it packs a punch of 8 g of protein, 40 g of carbs, 31 mg of calcium, and over 5 g of fiber. This is the perfect lunch before a long workout. Which reminds me...

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