Crunchy-Sweet Quinoa Couscous with Fresh Herbs
From the kitchen of CarlyQuinoa studded with tender chickpeas, plump raisins, and toasted almonds, then tossed with fresh basil and parsley for brightness. Herbaceous, slightly sweet, and satisfying enough to anchor a meal or round out a spread. Best served at room temperature.
- Prep
- n/a
- Cook
- n/a
- Total
- n/a
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients
4 servings
- 1"1/4 cup dried chickpeas (or canned; see Cooks Note)", 1 1" piece kombu
- 1sea salt
- 11 cup quinoa
- 11/2 cup raisins
- 11/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
- 11/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 11/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 12 tbsp olive oil plus more
- 11/2 tsp Herbamare seasoning, ume vinegar, or sea salt
- 1squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 11 tsp orange or lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
Cover chickpeas with 2" water and soak overnight (or see quick-soak tip on p. 35). Drain chickpeas and place in a medium pot; cover with 2"-3" of water. Bring to a rapid boil and skim any foam that rises to the surface. Add kombu and reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook for 1-2 hours (very fresh chickpeas take longer to cook), adding water as needed. About 10 minutes before they're done, add 1/4 tsp salt. Drain and set aside.
In another pot, cover quinoa with water and swirl with your hand to rinse. Drain. Add 2 cups fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl to cool.
After quinoa has cooled to slightly warmer than room temperature, add chickpeas, raisins, almonds, parsley, basil, 2 tbsp oil, and Herbamare, vinegar, or salt. Finish with a drizzle of oil and a splash of citrus juice or zest, if desired.