I heard about this salad from someone once, and decided to try it out. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, because it's not your average salad. No lettuce, but instead quinoa and chickpeas. The feta makes it feel like a Greek salad, but with more substance. I then simply store it in the fridge and it is good for a quick lunch for the next few days.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup mint, chopped
- 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios, chopped
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 lemons, juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
- Rinse and drain quinoa in a fine mesh strainer.
- Combine the rinsed quinoa and water in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook on High for 1 minute and then let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally (likely 10-15 minutes).
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cooled cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and feta.
- Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.
- Store salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.