Fruity Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

I couldn't be happier when I arrived at my service apartment, and realized that I have an almost full kitchen - microwave, stove, oven, dishwasher – to keep me company over the next two months. Eating out every day just wouldn't do for me.

While having a kitchen is a good thing, I had to stock up on my totally empty pantry. Having an empty pantry and refrigerator reminded me of how expensive it is to stock up on a pantry, and essential kitchen ingredients, and made me wonder if it is worth the while to cook during my stay here. Despite the second thoughts, I still went ahead and stocked up on the following essentials:

- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Ground cinnamon
- Cumin
- Lemon and lime
- Canned beans
- Rolled oats (I need my oatmeal)
- Garlic (I use them a lot in cooking)
- Onion (I use them a lot in cooking)
- Quinoa (I was deciding between quinoa and brown rice)
- Tamari sauce (for Japanese dishes)
- White Miso Paste (for Japanese dishes)
- Dashi powder (for Japanese dishes)
- Walnuts (nuts are my go-to snack)
- Chicken broth (I need my savory oatmeal)
- Fresh herbs (basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano)
- Fresh fruits (I need my daily dose of fruits to stay regular)
- A bar of dark chocolate !!

With my newly stocked pantry, the first dish I made was this quinoa salad. Quinoa is my best friend, and if you have been following this blog for some time, you should know how much I adore it. This salad is light, citrusy and perfect for summer – it’s perfect for the weather in New York and Connecticut now! Sala from Veggie Belly used ripe mangoes, but I substituted it with unripe mangoes because I didn’t want a salad that is too sweet. Either ways, I think they are still scrummy:)

Fruity Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing
Adapted from Veggie Belly
Serves 2

Ingredients
For the quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

For salad additions
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup unripe mangoes, cubed (for sweeter variation, use ripe mangoes)
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained

For the lemon basil dressing
2  tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp zest of lime
1 tbsp basil leaves, minced
1/2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To cook quinoa, bring  1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan; add the quinoa, bring back to boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes, or until quinoa has absorbed all the water. Remove cooked quinoa from heat, fluff, cover and allow it to stand for another 15 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, combine the blueberries, mango and chickpeas in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator. Combine the ingredients for the dressing. When the quinoa is ready, add the cooked quinoa to the bowl of fruits and chickpeas. 
3. Toss the salad with the dressing. Allow to chill for 1 hour or more to allow flavors to blend. Salad keeps well overnight. Enjoy!

What other pantry items would you buy during a two months stay like this?

What are the must-have items in your pantry?