Quinoa tabbouleh with chickpeas

I love middle eastern food but I rarely stock things like bulgur wheat in my cabinet. In this version of tabbouleh I used quinoa, something I almost always have on hand, instead of the traditional bulgur. I also added some chickpeas just to make it a little more substantial since I wanted to have it as a main course instead of a side dish. Feel free to leave them out if you don't like them or want it to be a little more traditional.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
Veggie stock (about a cup)
1/3 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup finely sliced red onion
1/3 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped and smashed and made into a paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt
pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Cook quinoa in veggie stock according to package directions, then fluff with a fork and cool in the fridge. While the quinoa is cooling, combine cucumber, tomato, red onion, and chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Add the cold quinoa and the parsley and stir to combine. In a separate small bowl, combine garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and stir well to make it smooth and thick. While stirring, stream in olive oil and continue stirring until it is nice and incorporated. Taste it to check for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed. Pour this dressing over the quinoa and veggies and stir well. You can serve this right away or keep it in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors come together.