Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh with Pistachios & Pomegranate

Ingredients:

• Parsley, 4 cups finely chopped (2 bunches of parsley)
• Fresh mint, 1 cup roughly chopped
• Raw white quinoa, 1 cup
• Water, 1.5 cups
• Cooked chickpeas, 1.5 cups
• Pomegranate seeds, 1 cup
• Pistachios, 1/2 cup roughly chopped
• Fresh lemon juice, 4 tbsp
• Olive oil, 6 tbsp
• Salt, ¼ tsp for dressing + ½ tsp for cooking the quinoa + 1/4 tsp for the chickpea marinade
• Cumin, 1/4 tsp
• Garlic, 1 clove minced for dressing + 1 clove minced for chickpea marinade
• Cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a small jar, combine 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, minced garlic, cumin powder, and cracked black pepper. Shake well and set aside.
2. Marinate the cooked chickpeas in the rest of the olive oil (3 tbsp), lemon juice (2 tbsp), ¼ tsp of salt, and the second minced garlic clove. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
3. In a medium-size saucepan, bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil with 1 cup of raw quinoa and ½ tsp of salt. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, covered. Once cooked, fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool on a large plate.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add the quinoa, parsley, mint, marinated chickpeas, and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle over the dressing, toss well to combine and top the salad with chopped pistachios. Enjoy!