Roasted Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Dijon vinaigrette

This Roasted Tomato and Chickpea Salad recipe combines freshness and flavor to make a deductible side dish or even the main event! I know a lot of people diss quinoa saying it’s bland, tastes like nothing, and is just a glorified grain substitute. But if you give it a chance, quinoa can be surprisingly flavorful and versatile. Roasted tomatoes, crispy chickpeas, and cucumbers pack it with crunchy, briny flavor, and with a simple lemon olive oil and dijon vinaigrette, it becomes nice and bright. I hope you love it too!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups quinoa cooked

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes roasted

• 1 cup roasted chickpeas

• 2 cups arugula

• 1 sliced cucumber

• 1 cup mixed fresh mint leaves and basil

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

• 1/2 cup red onion diced

• 1/2 tsp salt

• Fresh ground black pepper

• red pepper flakes

Dijon Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 lemon zested and juiced

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• 1 tsp nutritional yeast

• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425F. line two baking trays with parchment paper and add tomatoes to one tray and 1 can of chickpeas to the other. season both with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Cook tomatoes for ~10 minutes and chickpeas 20-25 minutes.

2. Combine the quinoa, roasted tomatoes, arugula, cucumbers, mint and basil, feta, and onion in a large bowl.

3. Drizzle with half the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes and toss again. Toss with more dressing as desired, top with the roasted chickpeas, and serve!