Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Greek Salad {Tzatziki Salad Dressing} – Guest Post!

This Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Greek Salad is a vegetarian delight! Crunchy fresh vegetables, filling quinoa and crunchy roasted chickpeas all drizzled with a homemade tzatziki dressing! 

A quick update on moi: So I whipped my new apartment into shape only to get food poisoning. I missed orientation yesterday, but I am hoping that if I baby myself one more day, that I’ll be 100% by my first class tomorrow morning. Cross your fingers!

I am so excited to introduce you to Marcie from Flavor the Moments today! I found Marcie’s wonderful site about a year ago and I’ve been going back like an addict ever since! She serves up a mix of healthy dishes, indulgent treats (including these recent red velvet cupcakes!), and comforting meals. I love how she often includes a unique twist on a recipe by combining unexpected ingredients.  She really is a flavor master!

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Hi, I’m Marcie from Flavor the Moments! I’m honored to be here guest posting for Lindsey, and I’m beyond excited that she’s starting culinary school this week! I graduated from a program last year, so I can’t wait to hear about her experience in the pastry program. She’s already wicked talented, so school is going to give her even more to add to her culinary bag of tricks.

Last week Lindsey posted Baba Ganoush dip and said she had been on a bit of a Mediterranean food bender.  That helped me decide what to serve up for her, and I know she loves quinoa.  Lindsey, I hope you love this!

I took my love of Greek salads and created this quinoa version.  I didn’t have Greek olives…shame on me…but don’t let that stop you.  If you have them, go on ahead and add them. We still have bright cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, and they’re tossed with the rainbow quinoa, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. And let’s not forget about those roasted chickpeas.

I wanted to make this salad extra special, and I thought roasted chickpeas would do just that.  Let me tell you, those little guys are addicting in the best possible way!  You can add the chickpeas as-is, but when you roast them, they get golden brown and crispy. They add a nice texture to the salad…if you have any left by the time you’ve popped a whole bunch, that is.

I had some Greek tzatziki sauce in the fridge, and decided that would be a nice little topper for our salad.   It’s creamy, with lots of fresh lemon and dill flavor. Plus, there are more cucumbers in the tzatziki, which always adds plenty of crispness to the party.

This salad has it all – plenty of healthy veggies for freshness and crunch, and quinoa that gives it some major staying power so you feel full longer. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring, and this salad is far from it.

Best of luck in school this week, Lindsey! I know you’re going to do us proud.

Aww thanks Marcie! And I will absolutely be making this salad! I do love me some quinoa and roasted veggies!
You should be sure to check out Flavor the Moments and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

5 from 1 ratings

Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Greek Salad {Tzatziki Salad Dressing} – Guest Post!

by Chef Lindsey

This Greek Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Salad is a vegetarian delight! Crunchy fresh vegetables, filling quinoa and crunchy roasted chickpeas all drizzled with a homemade tzatziki dressing!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

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Ingredients 

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For the roasted chickpeas:

• ▢ 1 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed, drained, and blotted dry
• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

For the tzatziki:

• ▢ 1 cup plain Greek yogurt I used Chobani 0%
• ▢ ½ cup cucumber chopped into small dice
• ▢ juice of half a lemon
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• ▢ 1 clove of garlic minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ salt and white pepper to taste

For the salad:

• ▢ 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package instructions and drained
• ▢ 1 cup coarsely chopped cucumber
• ▢ 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ▢ ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ▢ ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion chopped
• ▢ juice of 1 lemon
• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

Prepare the chickpeas:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the chickpeas with the olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper and place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

Prepare the tzatziki:

• Place the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, dill, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Prepare the salad:

• Place the quinoa, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl and toss gently until combined. Add more olive oil if necessary and adjust the seasoning.
• Serve the salad topped with the roasted chickpeas and a drizzle of tzatziki, and enjoy!

Notes

Tzatziki may be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe by Marcie at Flavor the Moments.

Nutrition

Calories: 842kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 866mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 722IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 403mg | Iron: 6mg

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, Greek

Calories: 842

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