Quinoa, Chickpea, Lemon, and Feta Salad

I've been on a quinoa kick lately...basically looking for grains that are higher in protein and fiber to serve as a side dish or as part of the main dish.  Quinoa, farro, barley, wheat berries, and lentils all fall into this category.  Yummy! 

So here's a great little side dish (or vegetarian lunch) for you to share at your next BBQ.  I served this with roasted chicken and grilled asparagus.  This dish has lots of fresh dill, which I love.  But if you aren't a fan, then substitute basil or mint and will be just as delish.  Love having fresh herbs in the garden this time of year...gives me lots of options.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Quinoa, Chickpea, Lemon, and Feta Salad
original recipe based on the following: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Lemon-Herb-Feta-Salad-Daphne-Oz?cid=pinterest_chw
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of fresh peas
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese
the juice and zest of 1 1/2 lemons
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste 


Because we are a culture of convenience, most grocery stores will sell fresh peas in the produce section like the picture below.  Who has time to shell peas???  Well worth it and so yummy.  My husband and I hate cooked peas but these are great.  If you haven't tried them, I encourage you to give them a try...just might change your mind about peas.

So back to the recipe...I cooked some quinoa as I always do:  1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of liquid, in this case it was chicken stock but water would be fine.  Put that in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil, and turn down to a simmer (covered) for about 15 minutes or until tender.  At this point, if there is still extra liquid in the pan, just take it off the heat and cover it up.  The quinoa will absorb the extra liquid. 

The leftover quinoa I put aside for the kids to eat.

In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, peas, and chickpeas.

Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper, and dill.  Stir to combine.  Then the best part...the feta!

Allow this to sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.  Its the kinds salad that gets better in time.  I just had some leftover for snack and it was better than the day I made it.  Enjoy!