Zesty, vibrant, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is packed with fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs, and hearty chickpeas. This healthy quinoa salad can be made ahead and pre-portioned, which makes it perfect for meal prep. It is vegan, gluten-free, and full of plant-based protein.
Packed with colorful vegetables, plentiful herbs, chickpeas, and olive-oil-based dressing, this quinoa salad is healthy and DELICIOUS. This refreshing salad is perfect for summer barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and the everyday. Make a batch ahead of time for easy {healthy} lunches for the whole week.
With a flavor, and ingredient profile similar to tabouleh, this Mediterranean-inspired quinoa salad is made with an abundance of fresh herbs and ingredients. This recipe is easily customizable, which is perfect for using up vegetables. Packed with plant-based protein and less than 300 calories a serving, this is a salad you will want to add to your regular rotation.
Do you love chickpeas? I know I do. Try my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad or Smashed Buffalo Chickpea Salad. These recipes are great for meal prep too!
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Why You Will Love This Salad
- It is made with simple ingredients and fresh, vibrant vegetables. But guess what? This salad is completely customizable to what you have on hand.
- The recipe is easy to make, the hardest part is chopping up the vegetables.
- This quinoa salad has the BEST flavor profile thanks to an abundance of herbs, garlic, and a homemade lemon, olive-oil-based dressing.
- Quinoa salad is healthy, full of fiber, and plant-based protein.
- It's vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- Quinoa
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- English Cucumber
- Grape (or Cherry) Tomatoes
- Bell Pepper
- Red Onion
- Fresh Herbs: Italian Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, and/or Mint
- Fresh Garlic
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemons (juiced)
- Salt and Black Pepper
See the recipe card for ingredient quantities.
Instructions
COOK THE QUINOA - Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
Hint: Cooking quinoa is a lot like cooking rice.
MAKE THE DRESSING - In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and minced garlic together.
COMBINE - In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled quinoa and dressing.
Add the diced vegetables and chickpeas, and toss to combine. Finely, toss in the chopped herbs.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Substitutions
- Quinoa - Cous Cous, Barley, Farro
- Chickpeas - Black Beans, Kidney Beans
- Red Onion - White Onion, Scallions
- Vegetables - Kalamata Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Zucchini, Artichoke Hearts
- Red Wine Vinegar - Balsamic Vinegar, White Wine Vinegar, Sherry Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lemon Juice - Lime juice
For a fun spin, substitute the canned chickpeas for a batch of these Crispy Roasted Chickpeas.
Variations
- Add Protein - Toss in or serve with cooked chicken, tuna, or salmon.
- With Greens - Toss with arugula, lettuce, kale, or baby spinach.
- Add Fruit - Mix in pomegranate seeds or diced avocado.
- Toss in Cheese - Everything is better with feta! Toss in ¼ cup to ½ cup of feta cheese. Or use the cheese as a final garnish for serving.
Try my Greek Orzo Salad with Feta and Chickpeas, an orzo-based variation of this recipe.
Suggested Equipment
- Pyrex Smart Essentials 4-Quart Glass Mixing Bowl
- Imarku Japanese Chef Knife
- HOMWE Kitchen Cutting Board
- OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs with Silicone Head
What to Serve with Quinoa Salad
Delicious on its own or served as a side, this salad is a yummy accompaniment to a variety of foods. Serve as a side to a cooked protein like grilled chicken, canned tuna, or baked salmon.
I love it alongside Slow-Cooker Greek Chicken and these Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs. You can serve it with sandwiches too, like this Quick and Easy Tuna Salad or a classic deli-style sandwich. For meal prep, portion the finished salad into individual airtight containers or jars.
Garnish the finished salad with additional fresh herbs, freshly cracked black pepper, and crumbled feta cheese, if desired.
Storage
Transfer completed salad to a large airtight container or individual containers for meal prep. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can you freeze this quinoa salad? Due to the abundance of fresh ingredients, this salad should not be frozen.
Expert Tips
- Chop the vegetables finely. Quinoa has a fine texture, so chop the vegetables fine too. This makes each bite uniform and easy to eat.
- Serve cold or room temperature. Enjoy right out of the refrigerator or immediately after making it.
- Meal prep in individual containers or jars. This healthy salad can be made ahead and pre-portioned for easy lunches throughout the week.
- The flavors develop stronger as the salad sits. For the best flavor make at least four hours before serving, or overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, quinoa salad is nutritious and full of good-for-you ingredients. Naturally gluten-free and a great source of plant-based protein, quinoa contains essential amino acids that our bodies need. Further, this salad is a good source of fiber. Each serving is under 300 calories, making it a low-calorie lunch option.
Yes, this quinoa salad can be made ahead of time. The flavor only gets better as it sits and marinates. For this reason, this salad is great for lunch or meal prep.
Related Recipes
If you make the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #sugarylogic, and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.
📖 Recipe
Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
- ½ English cucumber diced small
- 1 bell pepper red, orange, or yellow; diced small
- ½ red onion diced small
- 1 cup grape (or cherry) tomatoes diced
- 1 bunch fresh herbs: Italian parsley, cilantro, mint, and/or basil (about 1 cup) finely chopped
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions. *See notes.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and minced garlic together.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled quinoa and dressing.
- Add the diced vegetables and chickpeas, toss to combine. Finely, toss in the chopped herbs. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or transfer the salad to an airtight container.
Notes
- HOW TO COOK QUINOA: Unless already rinsed, rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. In a saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then decrease the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- STORE: Transfer completed salad to a large airtight container or individual containers for meal prep. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
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