Crunchy Mediterranean Confetti Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 medium yellow pepper chopped
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 3 small Persian cucumbers about 2 cups
- 1 small watermelon radish or 2-3 regular radishes sliced
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata or other olives you have, sliced
- 1/2 cup cubed organic medium soft tofu ‘feta’
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mixed herbs, use the same combination as in the vinaigrette
- 2-3 cups baby spinach/ kale or arugula
- 2/3 cup dry quinoa should yield about 2 cups
- Add ons: jalepeño slices for heat, sliced sun-dried tomatoes
Herbed balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup mixed herbs; used a combination of dill parsley and mint (minced) or use 1/2 teaspoon each of dried herbs
- kosher salt to taste (I used about 1/4 teaspoon)
- ground black pepper to taste (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
Preparation
Soak diced tofu in brine overnight to prepare the tofu ‘feta’.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Chop the yellow and red bell peppers.
Slice the Persian cucumbers and radishes.
Slice the olives.
Finely chop the red onion.
Prepare the mixed herbs for both the salad and the vinaigrette.
Cook the quinoa according to package instructions and let it cool.
Assembly
In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, chopped peppers, cucumbers, radishes, olives, tofu ‘feta’, red onion, and mixed herbs.
Add the baby spinach, kale, or arugula to the bowl.
Mix in the cooled quinoa.
Add any additional add-ons like jalepeño slices or sun-dried tomatoes if desired.
Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, mixed herbs, kosher salt, and ground black pepper until well combined.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.
Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.