• In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa.

In a small sauce pot, combine the quinoa and 1 cup lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
While the quinoa cooks, prepare the currants, chickpeas, and squash.

• In a small bowl, combine the currants and sherry vinegar; let soak until ready to toss the salad.
• Rinse the chickpeas.
• Trim the ends from the summer squash; cut the squash in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thin half-moons.
• Coarsely chop the almonds.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 to 2 teaspoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the chickpeas, squash, almonds, and Mediterranean spice blend and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in the peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
While the squash cooks, prepare the remaining salad ingredients.

• Peel the cucumber, if desired, and trim off the ends. Cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons.
• Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
• Juice half the lemon; cut half into wedges for garnish.
• Strip the mint leaves from the stems; coarsely chop the leaves.

In a medium bowl, combine the arugula, quinoa, chickpea-squash mixture, cucumber, tomatoes, lemon juice, and mint. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the currants to the salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss well to coat.

Transfer the salad to individual bowls. Serve with the lemon wedges and lemon-tahini dressing on the side.

Make It Leaner: Although our tahini dressing is flavorful and nutritious, it’s rich in calories. By using just 1 tablespoon of dressing, you will save 145 calories and 12 grams of fat. Plus, you will have extra to use as a dip for veggies at another time. To increase the volume of the dressing without adding calories, try thinning it out with a bit of water.