in lieu of soup.

it's the so-called "dead of winter" here in california, and the idea of swapping out my moccasins for sandals is growing almost unbearably tempting. they say the weather is really unusual for this time of year, but i'm not so secretly hoping they're wrong. as a native arizonan, 70 degree winters feel nothing but perfectly normal - and after almost a decade spent in chicago and germany, very appreciated.

the only downside to this warm weather front is that it doesn't look like i'm going to have any soup recipes to share with you this year. it's just that the prospect of gulping down steaming hot liquid under these circumstances is less than appealing. i hope you understand. and i also hope you'll accept another quinoa recipe to ease the momentary void. while it's certainly no soup, it is incredibly flavorful and perfect as a between-soup palette cleanser. and who knows, maybe a cold wind will strike in the next month or two! if so, i'll be the first to pull out my oversized pot and a gallon of vegetable stock.  

spiced rainbow quinoa with chickpeas

modified from dana treat

1 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained


3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice


3 tbsp. olive oil, divided


2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. cumin seeds


1 tsp. turmeric

1 cup rainbow quinoa

2 cups water


1 tsp. salt


3 green onions, thinly sliced
(white and green parts)

½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

combine chickpeas, lemon juice, 2 tbsp. oil, and garlic in a large bowl. stir to combine, and let marinate as you make the quinoa (though you can let it sit longer, of course!).

heat the other tbsp. oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and turmeric. stir around until fragrant, about 1 minute. add the water, quinoa, and salt. give it a stir. cover and bring to simmer. reduce heat to medium-low. let simmer until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

once ready, fluff up with a fork before adding in the green onions, parsley, and chickpea mixture. toss to blend. season to taste with salt and pepper. serve either warm or at room temperature.