Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Apples and Feta

It’s the last day of Apple Month! I’m part of a recipe cook-off with 8 other chefs and food writers in Western Canada – vote for your fave (mine, natch) and if my quinoa salad wins, the Calgary Inter-faith Food Bank will get $1000. Bonus: BC Tree Fruits will give you a fabulous Okanagan getaway for 2.

It’s one of my favourite salads – one I made for Barbara Coloroso earlier this week when she was in town speaking for Pink Shirt Day. She asked me to send her the recipe, but before I do, I thought I’d share it here. (And if you have time to pop over and vote, I’d be grateful on behalf of the food bank!)

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Apples and Feta

1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve
1/4 cup golden or sultana raisins
1 19 oz (540mL) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 tart BC Tree Fruits apple, chopped, skin on
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp curry paste or powder
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or almonds

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions, and set aside in a wide salad bowl to cool. Add the raisins while the quinoa is still warm so they plump up.
2. Once cooled, add the chickpeas, parsley, feta and apple.
3. Shake the olive oil, vinegar, honey and curry together in a jar, and drizzle over the quinoa salad. Toss, then sprinkle with nuts just before serving.