This is another one of the recipes that my mom made for me while I was visiting in August. The chickpeas and pine nuts offer a great crunch and nutty flavor, while the vinaigrette has a lovely fresh lemony taste that to me, tastes just like summer. Having said that, this would be great any time of the year.
Notes
- The original recipe is from the July 2011 issue of Style at Home magazine, but my mom substituted quinoa for the couscous and maple syrup for the honey – go mom! I’ve included these modifications below.
- She served it with a side salad instead of including arugula within the salad itself, so I’ve marked it as optional.
- She used dark (red/brown) quinoa, but the lighter variety work look great as well.
Quinoa with Roasted Spiced Chickpeas & Pine Nuts
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad, Side
Ingredients
Scale
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1+1/2 cup water
- 1 540-ml can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt, plus more for vinaigrette
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 tsp maple syrup (or agave)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 bunch arugula, large leaves torn into bite-sized pieces, about 1 cup (optional)
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and quinoa to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until quinoa is fully cooked and fluffy.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine chickpeas, 1 tablespoon olive oil, brown sugar, cumin, salt, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a bowl and toss well.
- Transfer mixture to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast in oven, shaking pan occasionally, about 20 minutes, until chickpeas are golden brown and crispy.
- In large bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stir in mint, quinoa, roasted chickpeas, and arugula (if using).
- Top with pine nuts before serving.
Notes
Adapted from “Couscous with roasted spiced chickpeas and pine nuts”, Style at Home Magazine, July 2011
