Quinoa Chickpea Salad

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If you couldn’t already tell, I’m a big fan of quinoa salad — and this quinoa chickpea salad has been a long-time favorite.

Since discovering how to cook quinoa ages ago I have been hooked on making them and I have quite a few different recipes with different flavor profiles for you to explore from my roasted broccoli quinoa salad to the viral Jennifer Aniston salad.

With a base of chickpeas, quinoa and crunchy veggies, this particular quinoa salad is loaded with nutrients and very filling.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This quinoa chickpea salad is fresh, hearty, and ridiculously easy to toss together. Here’s why it’s one you’ll come back to on repeat:

• Perfect for meal prep – This salad holds up great in the fridge and tastes even better the next day. I love making a big batch over the weekend to serve as a side salad for dinner or for lunch topped with grilled chicken or grilled shrimp for more protein.
• Customizable – Feel free to make this salad your own! It’s easy to make dairy-free or vegan with a simple feta swap. Use a different dressing, add more protein or other mix-in’s like olives, avocado, or spinach. The options are endless when it comes to quinoa salad.
• Loaded with nutrients – Between the quinoa, chickpeas, and all those veggies, this bowl is full of plant-based protein, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients Needed

• quinoa – this is the base of the recipe and you can use any type of quinoa you like from white, black, red to tri-color. Any variety will work for this recipe.
• chickpeas – I used canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), but you can cook your own if you have the time.
• cucumbers – a refreshing addition to this salad.
• cherry tomatoes – these little guys add such great flavor to the salad.
• bell pepper – I love the flavor and crunch that the bell pepper adds to this salad. Feel free to use any color bell pepper, but I find that red, orange or yellow are the most flavorful.
• carrots – for added crunch.
• red onion – the perfect way to add a bit of flavor and crunch. You can use yellow onion if needed.
• fresh parsley – don’t skip the fresh parsley! While it may seem optional, it really brings this salad to the next level.
• feta cheese – the feta adds a bit of creaminess to the salad and gives it a little tang as well.
• dressing – instead of an elaborate dressing, we’re using olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt and ground pepper to add a light and refreshing flavor to the salad. The feta and fresh parsley add quite a bit of flavor so the light dressing is really all you need.

How to Make Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Once everything’s chopped and ready, this salad comes together in minutes. It’s as simple as mix, toss, and enjoy. My kind of meal!

Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Drizzle with a bit of extra olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust as needed!

How to Store Leftovers

Like most quinoa salads, this salad stores really well so is a great meal prep salad! I love prepping quinoa salads during my weekend meal prep for quick and easy lunches throughout the week. You might just want to add an extra splash of oil and vinegar right before serving as the quinoa might soak up all the dressing.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions