This Quinoa Chickpea Salad is a great dish that’s perfect for any occasion. Packed with fresh vegetables and a lemon-garlic dressing, it’s healthy, flavorful, and surprisingly filling. Best of all, it comes together with minimal effort, so it’s a great option for a quick lunch, light dinner, or potluck side.
You’ll love this one if you like Fresh Corn Salad and Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad.
This one is really easy to make. The key components of the recipe include cooking the quinoa, tossing it with a mix of fresh veggies, then drizzling a homemade lemon-garlic dressing on top to bring all the flavors together.
Make it to eat today, meal prep it in advance for work lunches throughout the week, or bring it as a dish-to-pass for parties. Leftovers also store really well, so you can enjoy a healthy, ready-to-go meal for the next few days.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Really easy to prepare.
- Leftovers store really well.
- Packed with plant-based protein.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Ready in just 1 hour.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this quinoa chickpea salad
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook Quinoa: Cook the quinoa on the stovetop according to the package instructions, then remove the saucepan from the heat, remove the lid, and set it aside to start to cool. (To cool it down faster, spread it out on a baking sheet.)
Recipe Tip: For the best texture and flavor, make sure the quinoa is completely cooled before mixing it with the salad ingredients. Spreading the cooked quinoa out on a baking sheet to cool will help it cool faster and prevent it from becoming mushy. This also helps the quinoa grains stay separate, making the salad light and fluffy.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: To a large bowl, add the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and cilantro. Gently toss to combine everything, then set aside.
- Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined, then set aside.
- Prepare Salad: To the bowl of chickpeas and veggies, add the quinoa and the dressing. Toss until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Chill: Transfer the salad to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve: Remove the chilled salad from the refrigerator, taste, and add more salt as needed. Freshly crack some pepper on top, then serve.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Quinoa: Try using couscous or bulgur wheat.
- Chickpeas: Use white beans.
- Cucumber: Substitute with zucchini or celery.
- Red Bell Pepper: Use yellow or orange bell pepper.
- Red Onion: Try green onions or shallots.
- Flat-Leaf Parsley: Use curly parsley or fresh basil.
- Cilantro: Substitute with fresh mint or dill.
✨ Variations
- Spicy: Add diced jalapeños or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dressing for some heat.
- Cheese: Sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese on top.
- Avocado: Gently toss some diced avocado in right before serving.
- Nuts or Seeds: Toss in some toasted almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds for added crunch.
- Chickpeas: Add more texture and replace with air fryer chickpeas.
- More Veggies: Increase the veggies by adding halved cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, or baby spinach.
〰️ How to serve
- Protein — Serve alongside grilled chicken, tofu, or scallops.
- Soup — Enjoy with a bowl of sweet potato and red pepper soup or white bean soup.
- Bowls — Add a scoop or two of the quinoa salad to this vegan falafel bowl.
💬 FAQs
How can I prep this advance to serve later?
Cook the quinoa and chop the vegetables as directed. Store them separately in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, combine the ingredients, mix in the dressing, and chill for at least 30 minutes. The dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a separate airtight container.
How should I store leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Ideally, store the dressing separately to keep the salad fresh and crisp. Toss the salad with the dressing, then serve.
📚 More salad recipes
- Tuna Egg Salad
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Creamy Dill Cucumber Onion Salad (With Sour Cream And Mayo)
- Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
- Fresh Corn Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
🍽 Recipe
Email Recipe
Enter your email below and we’ll send you this recipe!
Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
- 15- ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium-sized cucumber, chopped
- 1 medium-sized red bell pepper, chopped
- ⅔ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice from 2 lemons, ~¼ cup
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Cook Quinoa: Cook quinoa on the stovetop according to package instructions, then remove from heat, remove lid, and set aside to start to cool. (To cool it down faster, spread it out on a baking sheet.)
- Combine Salad Ingredients: To a large bowl, add chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and cilantro. Gently toss to combine everything. Set aside.
- Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined, then set aside.
- Prepare Salad: To bowl of chickpeas and veggies, add quinoa and dressing. Toss until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Chill: Transfer salad to refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve: Remove chilled salad from refrigerator, taste, and add more salt as needed. Freshly crack pepper on top, then serve.
Leave a Reply