Quinoa Herbs Salad with a Lemon Tahini Dressing

By Noelle May 31, 2018

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
½ tsp sea salt
2 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
¾ fresh green mint, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup whole green onion, diced (about 3, I use whole onion, but use can use green only)
1/2 cup crumbled feta, (optional, for vegan selections)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
DRESSING
1/4 cup olive oil
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh Presley
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water and ½ tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a gently boil, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 10 minutes. Then, fluff into a large bowl and set aside to completely cools down.
Place sunflower seeds in a small skillet, and dry-roast them by shaking them back and forth over medium heat for two to three minutes or until they've lightly toasted in color. But don't turn your back on them, or they'll be burnt to a crisp before you know it! Speaking from experience.

To make the dressing: In a blender, combine the olive oil, water, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, freshly ground pepper and a parsley. Taste, and adjust salt if needed.

Once the quinoa is cooled and ready to use, add it to the large bowl. Add and mix the chickpeas, mint, parsley, cilantro and green onions. Then feta and toasted sunflower seeds and drizzle all the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

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