Emily Nunn runs The Department of Salad newsletter, an endless source of salad wisdom. She shared this salad, featuring garbanzos, quinoa, and a green goddess dressing loaded with fresh herbs.

• Green Goddess Vinaigrette (method below)
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream
• Juice of ½ lemon (more if needed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch garlic powder
• 5 ounces fresh spinach 
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1½ cups cooked Rancho Gordo Garbanzo Beans
• 1 cup diced English or mini cucumbers (remove the seeds if you’re using the large English cucumbers; no need to peel either)
• 1 or 2 avocados (one is good, two is luxurious), peeled, pitted, cubed
• ½ cup roughly chopped toasted pistachios

1. Remove two generous tablespoons of the Green Goddess Vinaigrette to a small bowl; whisk in the plain yogurt or sour cream, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of garlic powder. (This will be for drizzling on the salad before serving.) Taste for salt, more lemon, a touch more green goddess dressing. Set aside
2. Rinse the spinach in a colander and shake vigorously to remove most of the water from the leaves. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and cook for 45 seconds. Remove from microwave, toss lightly using two forks, and microwave for 30 more seconds. It should be bright green but wilted. Let cool completely. Squeeze the spinach to remove excess moisture; chop and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa with about ⅓ cup of the Green Goddess Vinaigrette and toss to thoroughly coat. Separate the spinach with your fingers and add it to the quinoa along with the chickpeas and cucumbers. Toss, gently, add more dressing to taste, toss again. 
4. To serve, transfer to a shallow serving bowl or platter and top with a jumble of cubed avocado. Drizzle with as much of the Green Goddess cream as you’d like. Garnish with the chopped pistachios and serve immediately. (You can also garnish with any herbs left over from making the Green Goddess Vinaigrette.)

 

Green Goddess Vinaigrette
Makes about a cup
You don’t have to be too exacting about the herbs once you get the hang of this recipe; this is a guide. When I make it from memory I just cut up a small pile of each herb and throw it in. Tarragon is powerful, though, so I tend to use just a bit less of it. If you have chives, throw a couple tablespoons in there, too.

• 2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 big cloves garlic, cut into pieces
• 3 to 4 anchovy filets (I like a lot of anchovy; try 2-3 if they scare you)
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon (use your microplane)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice; more to taste
• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
• 2 heaping tablespoons chopped mint (or substitute an extra 2 tablespoons basil)
• 2 heaping tablespoons chopped basil (or substitute an extra 2 tablespoons mint)
• 1⁄2 cup chopped parsley
• 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

Place the first four ingredients in a mini food processor and process thoroughly. It’s okay if the mixture is a little chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and process until relatively
smooth. Taste and adjust; you may want extra salt or an extra tablespoon of lemon juice or olive oil (or both). Let this sit for at least half an hour before using. If you refrigerate, bring almost to room temperature before using.