Katie Lee’s Crispy Chickpea and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad, the most versatile salad recipe

Need a versatile salad recipe? Katie Lee’s Crispy Chickpea and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad is it.

Summer and salads are a delightful pairing and this Crispy Chickpea and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad could be the star of the table. Created by Katie Lee and using Healthy Choice Power Dressings Creamy Italian, the salad can be a main dish, side dish and even breakfast. Isn’t it time to discover a recipe that can almost do it all?

While many people know that they should eat more salads and vegetables, sometimes that bowl of greens can seem bland or boring. It isn’t that the ingredients in the bowl are just uninspiring, rather home cooks are tired of the same recipe.

In any great recipe, one bite needs to pack a big punch. While the colors in the salad bowl excite the eyes, the flavors on the fork need to deliver. Even though everyone knows that we need to eat the rainbow, that rainbow needs to be tasty.

One of the keys to adding to the enjoyment of a salad is textures. The combination of textures is just as important as the combination of flavors. From crunchy to soft, those textures lead to eating satisfaction.

Lastly, a salad needs to be good for you. Just eating a bowl of greens smothered in a salad dressing that contains more calories than an ice cream cone is not a good choice. It defeats the purpose of eating healthy.

When picking a salad dressing, the ingredients are as important as the calories per serving. Luckily, the Healthy Choice Power Dressings have that perfect combination. Each dressing offers big flavor yet isn’t big on the calories.

More importantly, that bottle of Healthy Choice Power Dressing can be more than just a salad dressing. From a marinade to a flavor booster, it might your next must have condiment.

Recently, I had the opportunity to take a cooking class with Katie Lee. While everyone loves her on the Food Network, her outgoing personality is definitely real. Throughout the cooking class, everyone chatted, shared stories, learned some great cooking tips and made a very tasty Crispy Chickpea and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad.

Here’s Katie Lee’s recipe for Crispy Chickpea and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad.

Crispy Chickpea and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

For the chickpeas:

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons
• Healthy Choice Power Dressings Creamy Italian
• Salt and pepper

For the tabbouleh:

• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed
• 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup minced fresh mint (or substitute any soft herbs, like cilantro, chives, tarragon, etc.)
• 1⁄4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (or substitute any soft herbs, like cilantro, chives, tarragon, etc.)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 cup Healthy Choice Italian dressing
• 4 cups mixed greens, for serving
• 4 lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a paper towel or a clean dish towel to pat dry the chickpeas. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with Italian dressing and season with salt and pepper. Bake until crispy, about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water and the quinoa to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
• Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and let cool completely.
• Add the cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, mint, and parsley to the quinoa and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Italian dressing and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature on a bed of greens and top with crispy chickpeas and a lemon wedge.

The first time that I made this salad was just like the recipe. The combination of the crispy chickpeas to the quinoa and greens is quite tasty. Personally. I wish that I had made extra chickpeas for snacking. Those little tasty treats make for a great snack.

During the cooking class, everyone talked about how this recipe can change and grow depending on the situation. For example, adding some grilled chicken could change this salad recipe into a bigger meal versus a side dish.

Also, adding eggs could make for a great brunch meal. Think about enjoying this salad with a glass of prosecco at a leisurely Sunday brunch.

Basically, once you master this salad, the options are many. It is one of those salad recipes that will never become boring because it is always adaptable.

More importantly, the salad is healthy and good for you. From all the veggies to the flavors to the textures, it might become that dish you bring to the next family dinner.

Why not try Katie Lee’s Crispy Chickpea and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad and see why I think it is the versatile salad recipe that has become one of my favorite summer salads.

What is your favorite summer salad recipe? Share your recipes and ideas with FoodSided.