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Healthy Spicy Quinoa Bowls with Chickpeas, Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumbers, and Fresh Herbs

Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, which is somewhat unique among grains. Cooked by itself in water, quinoa can be disappointing—cook it up right, with some spices and chicken stock, and you will be hooked.
This dish works wonderfully as a healthy entrée, where you can add your cooked proteins of choice if you feel that you are missing the meat.
If you are trying to cook something vegan, omit the chicken stock and use vegetable stock. And swap out the yogurt for pureed soft tofu with poppy seeds, lemon, and soy sauce, or use a vegan yogurt substitute.
The recipe below serves 6 people.

Ingredients

  • 1.75 cups chicken stock
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup dried quinoa
  • ½ red onion (finely diced)
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ½ red bell pepper (finely diced)
  • 1 English cucumber (peeled and cut medium dice)
  • 2 ripe Roma tomatoes (cut medium dice)
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (for the cucumber and tomatoes)
  • 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon togarashi spice mix (or paprika)
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup fresh chives (finely sliced)
  • ½ cup prepared hummus (for serving)
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt (for serving)
  • A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (as garnish)
  • Fresh lime wedges (as garnish)

Instructions 

  • Add the chicken stock to a rice-cooking pot, and bring the stock to a simmer.
  • Add the Kosher salt, dried oregano, ground cumin, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes, and then mix in the dried quinoa.
  • Bring the contents to a simmer again, and then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting on your stove.
  • Cover the rice-cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid.
  • *I like to use aluminum foil underneath my lid.
  • Cook for 14-17 minutes, or until the quinoa is completely tender.
  • Gently use a fork to fluff the quinoa grains, and then cover again, off the heat.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the diced red onion, along with the zest and juice of one lime.
  • Allow the diced red onion to pickle gently in the lime juice for about ten minutes. This will help remove some of the raw flavor from the uncooked onion.
  • In a different mixing bowl, add the diced red bell pepper, diced cucumber, and diced tomatoes, along with some salt.
  • Let the pepper and cucumber and tomatoes sit for ten minutes, and then drain the liquid.
  • *Cucumbers and tomatoes release a lot of water once they are salted. This is a normal, and good thing.
  • Mix the drained and rinsed chickpeas with the olive oil and togarashi spice mix, along with an extra drizzle of olive oil and some Kosher salt, if desired.
  • When you have drained the salted cucumber and tomatoes and peppers, mix in the chickpeas, along with the pickled red onion with lime juice from earlier.
  • Add in the quinoa, along with the fresh herbs.
  • Taste, and add some extra lime juice or salt, if needed.
  • Serve in bowls, along some hummus, Greek yogurt, olive oil, and fresh lime wedges.

Notes

The leftovers from this dish can be cooled down in the fridge and enjoyed the following day.