A Healthy, Protein-Packed Salad Recipe

Name: Quinoa, Tuna, and Chickpea Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: For the Dressing:; 1 medium clove garlic (grated); 2 tablespoons olive oil ( extra-virgin ); 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed); Pinch sea salt; For the Salad:; 1/2 cup quinoa; 2 cups water (divided); 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 7 ounces/200 milliliters water-packed tuna (1 can, drained); 2 cups baby spinach (loosely packed); 14 ounces/400 milliliters chickpeas (1 can, rinsed & drained); 1/3 cup celery (finely chopped); 1/3 cup cilantro (coriander leaves, chopped); 1/3 cup mint (chopped); 2 spring onions (finely sliced); 8 cherry tomatoes (or baby tomatoes, quartered)

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 40 mins

Servings: 2 servings

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This tasty quinoa, tuna, and chickpea salad recipe is a firm favorite in my household.

Fluffy quinoa is tossed with canned tuna, chickpeas, baby spinach, cilantro, mint, celery, spring onions, and baby tomatoes. The dressing is a combination of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. The flavors are wonderful and with all of that protein, the salad easily makes a meal in itself.

For the Dressing:

1 medium clove garlic, grated
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pinch sea salt

For the Salad:

1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups water, divided
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 (7-ounce) can water-packed tuna, drained
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 medium spring onions, thinly sliced
8 large cherry tomatoes, quartered

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this quinoa, tuna, and chickpea salad is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Make the Dressing

Gather the ingredients.
In a small bowl, mix together grated garlic clove, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.

Make the Salad

Gather the ingredients.
Place quinoa in a small, heatproof bowl. Cover with 1 cup of boiling water and soak for 5 minutes.
Use a sieve to drain it and then give the quinoa a good wash under cold, running water. Run your fingers through it while you wash it.
Place quinoa in a small saucepan and add the remaining 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes with a lid on.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the tuna, spinach, chickpeas, celery, cilantro, mint, spring onions, and cherry tomatoes.
Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork and then add to the salad ingredients. Add the dressing and then stir well to coat the ingredients.
Divide salad between 2 large bowls and serve.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
671	Calories
23g	Fat
74g	Carbs
45g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	671
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g	29%
Saturated Fat 3g	17%
Cholesterol 42mg	14%
Sodium 1042mg	45%
Total Carbohydrate 74g	27%
Dietary Fiber 19g	68%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 45g
Vitamin C 22mg	108%
Calcium 193mg	15%
Iron 9mg	51%
Potassium 1292mg	27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.