Step 1

To cook quinoa in Instant Pot: To cook 1 cup of quinoa in the Instant Pot, you will need 1.5 cups of water or stock. Rinse the quinoa under cold water and strain. Add to the Instant Pot along with water and a little salt; we also like to add a little olive oil. Set to pressure cook on HIGH for 1 minute. Once the timer is done, leave the pot alone for 10 minutes (NPR, natural pressure release). The quinoa will finish cooking during this time. Open the lid and fluff quinoa with a fork, cool down and use in the salad as needed.

Step 2

To cook quinoa on a stovetop: To cook 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, you will need 2 cups of water or vegetable broth (for added flavor), plus salt. The stovetop method requires more water than the Instant Pot method. Rinse the quinoa and strain. Add to a medium-sized saucepan with water (1:2 ratio) and a little bit of salt. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir the quinoa occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

Step 3

Once the quinoa reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Keep an eye on it to prevent it from boiling over. After 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. This resting period allows the quinoa to absorb any remaining moisture and results in a fluffy texture. After the resting time, uncover the pot and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

Step 4

Make the salad: Prepare the quinoa, drain the chickpeas, and dice up the vegetables and herbs. Assemble them in a large mixing bowl and add the crumbled feta and shelled, chopped pistachios.

Step 5

You can whisk the salad dressing separately or simply drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the salad and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Toss through and serve.