Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4**
Serving Size: 1 salad
Dressing Ingredients:
1/4-cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4-cup cider vinegar
2-tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-tbsp. honey
1 1/2-tsp. poppy seeds
1-tsp. minced shallots
1/2-tsp. salt (I used sea salt)
1/8-tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Salad Ingredients:
1-cup unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-cup cooked quinoa
4-cups packed fresh baby spinach
1-cup fresh blueberries
1-cup chopped heirloom tomatoes (you can use grape tomatoes as well)
2-tbsp. roasted, unsalted sunflower seed kernels
1/4-cup ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2-cup goat cheese, crumbled
2-tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped
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Directions:
1) Combine the first eight ingredients to make dressing into a bowl or jar. Cover with lid and shake well to combine.
2) Combine chickpeas, quinoa, and 2 tablespoons of dressing; toss well.
3) Arrange 1 cup of spinach in a tupperware bowl or into a 4-quart size jar. Top each serving with 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons sunflower seeds, 1/4 of avocado slices, 1/2 ounce goat cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons mint, and 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Drizzle each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dressing.
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**For just a one-day meal for two people, I just cut the ingredients in half and it made perfect amount for myself and my mom.
I was very excited to try this recipe out to take with me for lunch on the beach, and it was A M A Z I N G! A "dressed up" salad that's oh-so-summery with it's fresh fruit and poppy seed dressing, and yet it was filling, too, because of the quinoa. I loved knowing that depsite what can be a hectic morning on the beach with the kiddos, I was still making the time and effort to continue to eat healthily! Not always easy with the temptation of those hot dogs and french fries floating around you, and this was such a delicious recipe that I highly recommend it even as a salad to entertain with. Whether you're going to a bbq or hosting one of your own this summer, give this recipe a whirl-I promise, you won't be disappointed! YUM YUM!
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**An extra tid-bit, if you don't have a good salad-size tupperware bowl, you can also stuff each salad into a quart-size canning jar with lid for convenience.
Summer Power Salad
