
Mediterranean Salad (Vegan, GF)

This Mediterranean Salad was something I had in the back of my mind for a while but had yet to try. This year my goal is to try to do everything I have thought about doing in the past and that includes creating and trying new recipes. This one was inspired by recipes I saw online, but developed by myself. This recipe creates 5 meals worth and is perfect for a large family, leftovers, or meal prep. It is high in protein and fiber, and full of healthy fat (omega-9 from the olives and olive oil).
Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1 jar (16 oz.) Roasted Red Peppers
1 jar (6 oz.) Olives
1 bunch Italian Parsley
1 Box (8 oz.) Chickpea Pasta (I used Wegmans Organic Chickpea Pasta)
1 cup dry quinoa (pre-washed/rinsed)
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Himalayan Sea Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 Lemon
*Optional Add-ins - Feta (I recommend Kite Hill Vegan Feta Cheese)
Instructions:
Cook Quinoa (I found that I used 3 1/2 cups of water on medium heat, turned off when almost done and covered to steam cook the rest of the way.)
While Quinoa is cooking, cook pasta per instructions on packaging
While everything is cooking, chop cucumber, parsley, roasted red peppers, and slice olives in half. Mix everything into a large bowl.
Set the cooked ingredients aside to cool.
Take a small mason jar and pour in the juice of half a lemon, Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper. Shake to incorporate. Pour over chopped ingredients.Cover chopped ingredients and refrigerate while the cooked ingredients cool.
Once the cooked ingredients have cooled to room temperature, gently incorporate all of the ingredients together. This salad is best served chilled.
