Lemon Quinoa Avocado Chickpea Salad

I bake a lot.  I mean, I really like cake.  But my health is important to me, too.  So to keep everything nice & balanced, I have a few of these recipes up my sleeve. 

I found the original recipe over on The Diva Dish thanks to seeing a photo of it on Pinterest.  The colors drew me in and I knew by reading the ingredient list that it was going to be a winner.  One of those things where you obsess about the recipe for days and buy 20 avocados in preparation for it because they are ripe for exactly five minutes and you keep having to run to the grocery store to buy more.  Just me? Okay then.  The original recipe called for cilantro, but I am not a big fan so I simply omitted it.  I didn't miss it at all, but feel free to toss some in for an extra layer of flavor if that's more your style. 
I also left out the cumin and swapped a taste of honey for the agave. 

This recipe is one of those rare finds that is jam-packed with superfoods but actually tastes good. I don't feel like I'm sacrificing flavor to eat well when I make this salad. It's packed with protein from the chickpeas and quinoa, healthy fats from the buttery avocados and there's even some spinach hiding in there. It's all coated with a bright, lemony dressing that is insanely tasty when combined with everything else. Don't be scared off if you are unfamiliar with some of these ingredients - try it and I know you'll love it!

Lemon Quinoa Avocado Chickpea Salad 
Heavily adapted from Arielle at The Diva Dish
Serves 4.

1/2 cup dry quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained & rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 avocados, diced
2 cups spinach
1/4 cup onion
2 small cloves garlic

For the dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
dash of salt and pepper

Make your quinoa first.  Soak it in a pot of chicken broth for 15 minutes.  After that, turn the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a boil.  Once it is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the quinoa.  Stir every 5 minutes or so, cooking for a total of 20 minutes or until the majority of the liquid is absorbed.  Be sure to stir occasionally or it will stick to the bottom of the pot (ask me how I know).  Remove it from heat and put a lid on it.  Set aside.

In a food processor, add the spinach, onion and garlic.  Process until finely diced.  Transfer to a medium bowl.  Add your drained & rinsed chickpeas to the spinach mixture and stir until everything is coated.  If your quinoa has finished cooling, you can add that as well. 

Make your dressing by whisking all ingredients together.  Pour over the salad and mix until everything is combined.  Add in your cherry tomatoes and avocados and give it a final stir.  Place the salad in the fridge for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. 

I may or may not have make Cookie Dough Cupcakes later that night.