Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under plenty of cold water to remove the saponin, which gives it a bitter taste, then drain.

Transfer the drained quinoa to a dry pan without adding any oil. Sauté over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue this process for approximately 3-4 minutes until the quinoa becomes crunchy and releases a pleasant nutty aroma.

Transfer the toasted quinoa to a small pot, add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt, and cover the pot. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes until the water is completely absorbed. Remove the cooked quinoa from the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes to steam and cool.

Dice the cucumber and capia pepper into small dice. Slice the green onions into thin rings. Finely chop the parsley.

Add the completely cooled quinoa, boiled chickpeas, diced cucumber, capia pepper, green onions, and chopped parsley to a large mixing bowl.

In a separate dressing bowl, mix the olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and cumin thoroughly with a whisk until a homogeneous consistency is reached.

Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad, gently mix with a spatula so all ingredients are well combined, and serve on a plate.