Herbed Quinoa Bowl with Crispy Lemon Chickpeas and Creamy Roasted Garlic Walnut Dressing

For the most part I keep my salad dressings super simple. Olive oil, lemon or vinegar, and fresh herbs usually do the trick for me. The salad dressing recipe for this bowl is a little more involved, but it really is the star of the dish. It’s a super nutty and creamy dressing (but still vegan), and I think it is pretty fun to make too.

I love to grill a few heads of garlic whenever I have something else going on the grill because it is way easier than roasting them in the oven. Plus, I think I turn my oven on maybe once a month during the summer (to make these chickpeas). I utilize them in this dressing along with a handful of toasted walnuts. I also like to add grilled garlic into my salsa recipes, or just spread on a sandwich in the place of mayo. 

This bowl is super versatile in that you can add whatever veggies you want, and use a different grain if you don’t want to do quinoa. Have fun!

Herbed Quinoa Bowl with Crispy Lemon Chickpeas and Creamy Roasted Garlic and Walnut Dressing Herbed Quinoa Bowl with Crispy Lemon Chickpeas and Creamy Roasted Garlic and Walnut Dressing Herbed Quinoa Bowl with Crispy Lemon Chickpeas and Creamy Roasted Garlic and Walnut Dressing

 

Herbed Quinoa Bowl with Crispy Lemon Chickpeas and Creamy Roasted Garlic and Walnut Dressing
Serves 2
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Prep Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
For Dressing
  1. 2 heads garlic, roasted and cloves peeled
  2. 1/2 cup walnuts (toasted)
  3. 1/3 cup olive oil
  4. 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  5. 2 Tbsp mild vinegar (I use rice wine)
  6. 1 Tbsp honey
  7. water to thin
  8. kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
For Salad
  1. 1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked
  2. 1 cup chopped parsley
  3. 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
  4. juice of one lemon
  5. 2 Tbsp olive oil
  6. chopped cucumbers, red onion, red peppers
For Chickpeas
  1. 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
  2. zest of one lemon
  3. 2 Tbsp olive oil
  4. kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out chickpeas. Drizzle with olive oil, generously season with salt and pepper. Finely zest lemon and combine zest with chickpeas using your hands. Roast for 15-20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until crispy.
  2. Preheat grill to high. Cook garlic heads on each side for 4-5 minutes (outside will get a bit black). Remove and set aside to cool enough to handle.
  3. In a large bowl combine quinoa with parsley and dill, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. To make dressing, combine peeled garlic cloves, walnuts, lemon juice, vinegar and honey in a high powered blender (ie vitamix) or a food processor until smooth, adding a little water if necessary. With blender running, drizzle in olive oil slowly so that it emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Assemble bowls to your liking and serve with dressing.
Notes
  1. I like to grill my garlic because it is quick and easy, but feel free to roast you garlic in the oven as well. Just allow yourself some more time to do so.
The Sea Salt http://theseasalt.com/

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