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This light and fresh Quinoa Chickpea Salad recipe combines veggies, herbs, quinoa and chickpeas into a delicious meal that is ready in 30 minutes and is gluten-free and vegan. For more salads with quinoa and chickpeas try my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad next!
Table of Contents
This Quinoa Chickpea Salad is perfect for a quick lunch, healthy meal prep, or a fresh side. Quinoa is one of my favourite versatile ingredients that can be used in anything from Black Bean Quinoa burgers to a Quinoa Breakfast Bowl, to quinoa stuffed sweet potatoes and even Puffed Quinoa Bars. Today, it’s being used as a base along with hearty chickpeas, veggies, and a simple lemon vinaigrette to make a hearty and delicious salad.
As a busy mom who’s always juggling real life with real food, I rely on recipes like this one in my meal rotation. easy to throw together, nourishing, and something the whole family will eat. Over the years, I’ve tested countless variations of grain and legume salads, and this one always makes it into my regular lunch rotation. I like to serve it up with a side of crispy air fryer tofu or cottage cheese egg white bites.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes – This salad comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy days or last-minute lunches.
- Light and fresh – Made with veggies and a zesty dressing, it’s the kind of salad that feels refreshing but still satisfying.
- High in protein and fibre – Chickpeas and quinoa make this a filling, balanced meal with 10g of protein and 7g of fibre per serving. For another high protein lunch try my Kale Pasta Caesar Salad.
- Perfect for meal prep – It holds up beautifully in the fridge, so you can prep it once and enjoy healthy lunches all week!
Key Ingredients
- Quinoa: You can use white quinoa, red quinoa or tri-coloured quinoa, whichever you have on hand will work.
- Chickpeas: canned or dried chickpeas both work. If using dried chickpeas just make sure to prepare and cook them in advance so they’re ready to go in this salad. You can also make crispy baked chickpeas to use in this recipe if you want some extra crunch.
Recipe Variations
- Add greens: Toss in a handful of baby spinach, arugula, or chopped kale.
- Boost the protein: Add crumbled feta, diced grilled chicken, tofu or crispy air-fryer falafel to make it more filling.
- Mix up the veggies: Try chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, or corn depending on what you have on hand.
- Try a different dressing – Swap the lemon-herb vinaigrette for Lemon Tahini Dressing or Vegan Green Goddess Dressing.
*This is a recipe overview. The full recipe with measurements is below in the recipe card.
How To Make Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Step 1: Add the quinoa, chickpeas, parsley, bell pepper, red onion, dried cranberries and sliced toasted almonds to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper together in a small jar or bowl to make the vinaigrette. Then pour the vinaigrette onto the salad.
Step 3: Mix together to combine and serve.
How To Store
Store leftovers of this Chickpea Quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This salad stores well once it’s already been dressed, so you don’t have to worry about storing the salad dressing separately from the salad.
Jess’s Tips
- Make the quinoa ahead of time – Cook the quinoa in advance and let it cool completely before assembling the salad to keep the salad cold. Have leftover quinoa? Keep it to make a batch of Quinoa Fried Rice.
- Season the cooking water – Lightly salt the water or use vegetable broth to infuse the quinoa with extra flavour.
- Customize your way– This salad is super versatile, so feel free to mix in cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, herbs, cheese or whatever you like.
- Use high-quality olive oil – Since the dressing is simple, a good olive oil really makes a difference in flavour.
- Double the batch for meal prep – This salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, making it great for weekday lunches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can prepare the salad and dressing in advance and toss together right before serving for optimal freshness.
This salad is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature, making it perfect for meal prep and on-the-go lunches.
Try These Salad Recipes Next!
If you tried this Quinoa Chickpea Salad or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Quinoa Chickpea Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy Quinoa Chickpea Salad comes together in 30 minutes and wont get soggy in the fridge making it perfect to meal prep!
Ingredients
Quinoa salad
- 2 cups quinoa, cooked (about 1 cup uncooked)
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
Lemon olive oil vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Mix the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small jar or bowl.
- Pour half the dressing onto the salad and mix. Taste and add more dressing as needed for your personal taste.
Notes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Fat: 17g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 10g
Perfect summer salad! I brought it to a bbq and everyone loved it!
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂