Quinoa Salad with Apple, Chickpeas, Toasted Almonds & Apple Cider Vinaigrette

By Jackie618

Ingredients

• The salad:
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) - (I prefer Bush's Beans)
• 1 large Gala apple, cored and chopped
• 3 tbsp Gorgzonzola cheese
• 2 green onion, thinly sliced (green & white parts)
• The vinaigrette:
• 1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp agave nectar or honey
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preparation

Step 1

the salad:
In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa well and drain.
In a medium pot, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff the quinoa and transfer to a cookie sheet, spreading the quinoa in a thin layer, to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together cooled quinoa, almonds, chickpeas, apple, Gorgonzola cheese and green onions.

The vinaigrette:
Whisk together white apple cider, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, agave nectar and salt.
Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and toss to coat. Serve.