Veg-heavyLow fatHigh carb

Quinoa & Chickpea Salad

Makes two lunches and is better cold on the second day.

25 min Serves 2 Stove, Saucepan

Per serving

473

kcal

19.1 g

protein

70.7 g

carbs

14 g

fat

4 g protein per 100 kcal · 14.4 g fibre. Calculated from the exact weights below using standard food composition data, so they are close estimates rather than lab values.

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Ingredients

For 2 servings.

  • Quinoa, dry weight100 g
  • Chickpeas240 g
  • Cucumber100 g
  • Tomato150 g
  • Olive oil15 g
  • Lettuce (romaine)(optional)60 g

Method

  1. 1Rinse the quinoa, then simmer in twice its volume of water for 15 minutes until the grains uncurl.
  2. 2Cool it a little so it does not wilt the salad.
  3. 3Fold through the drained chickpeas, chopped vegetables and oil.

New to cooking? Read this first

The techniques and safety points this recipe uses, explained from scratch.

Rinsing rice, lentils and tinned beansShow

Rinsing washes off loose starch (so rice is less sticky), dust and grit (lentils), and the salty, starchy liquid in a tin of beans.

  1. Tip it into a sieve and hold it under the cold tap.
  2. Swish it around with your hand for about 30 seconds, until the water running out is mostly clear.
  3. Shake off the excess water before it goes in the pan.
Simmer vs boil — what the bubbles tell youShow

A boil is big bubbles rolling hard across the whole surface. A simmer is much gentler: small bubbles rising lazily, a few breaking the surface. Stews, sauces and soups simmer; boiling makes meat tough and sauces catch on the bottom.

  1. Bring it up to the boil on a higher heat, then turn the heat down until the bubbling calms to a gentle simmer.
  2. Check every few minutes and adjust — a lid on makes it hotter, a lid off lets it thicken.
  3. Stir now and then, scraping the bottom, so nothing sticks and burns.

Ready when: Small, steady bubbles — not a still surface, not a rolling boil.

Wilting spinach and leafy greensShow

A huge pile of raw spinach shrinks to a few spoonfuls in under a minute of heat.

  1. Add the leaves on top of the hot food right at the end — it will look like far too much.
  2. Stir and turn them for 30–60 seconds until they go dark green and floppy.
  3. Take it off the heat straight away. Overcooked spinach turns slimy and grey.
Draining safelyShow

A big pan of boiling water is the most dangerous thing in most home kitchens. Go slowly.

  1. Put a colander in the sink BEFORE you pick up the pan.
  2. Use oven gloves or a thick tea towel on both handles. Tip the pan away from you so the steam rises away from your face.
  3. For pasta, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water first — its starch helps the sauce stick.
  4. For tins, press the lid against the food and tip the liquid out over the sink, or use a sieve.

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A standard home version of a well-known dish, written for Solviro. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient weights and will vary with brands and portions.