A few years ago, I found the most AMAZING recipe for a quinoa salad that had chickpeas, grapes, and tabbouleh. I still make this recipe on repeat every spring and summer, because when I fell for it…I fell hard ;-). My favorite thing about this combo is the crunchiness/crispness the grapes add!
Since falling in love with this recipe, I’ve tried to create other quinoa salads with a similar texture. Finally, I’ve come up with one that I love just as much as the original! This Sugar Snap Pea Quinoa Salad has an amazing crunch from tasty snap peas, and a delicious combo of complementary ingredients.
Sure, we may have gotten 9 inches of snow yesterday in Minneapolis, but that’s not stopping me from creating beautiful, green dishes to get me in the mood for spring. Sugar snap peas are one of my favorite spring ingredients. I typically add them to salads or eat them with hummus, but now I have another amazing way to sneak them into my meals.
Not only is this Sugar Snap Pea Quinoa Salad the perfect spring side dish, it can also be a meal prep staple and goes great with just about any packed lunch.
AND this recipe comes with an added bonus: the dressing! Seriously, this stuff is so good I could drink it. I used it on top of the butter lettuce salad I made for Easter, and knew I had to incorporate it into a blog recipe…stat! Honey + shallots = heaven!
Ready for a party in your mouth? (Side note: I watched an episode of Chopped last night and one of the chefs had a food truck named “Party Palate” because her food was supposed to be “a party in your mouth every time.” I loved this and want to adopt this phrase, haha!)
Sugar Snap Pea Quinoa Salad
These quinoa salad is a perfect spring side dish or lunchtime staple. You can have it ready in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa cooked
- 1/2 pound sugar snap peas more to taste
- 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
For the dressing:
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1.5 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare quinoa according to package directions to get 2 cups cooked. If there are no package directions, combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for ~15 minutes. Reserve 2 cups cooked quinoa for the salad, and store any leftover in the fridge for other uses.
While the quinoa is cooking, wash and dry the sugar snap peas, and slice them in half. Prepare the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, snap peas, and chickpeas. Pour dressing over mixture and stir until combined. You may not need the entire dressing, so be sure to pour it slowly or in batches to your desired taste. Save the rest of the dressing for salads or other uses.
Pin now to make later!
Happy hump day!
Lizzie
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