Quinoa Chickpea Salad

A bowl of Mediterranean quinoa salad with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, chickpeas, feta cheese, chopped parsley, red onion, and lemon wedges on the side.

This Quinoa Chickpea Salad is what I make on a Sunday when I see a hard week coming. It is perfect for powering through days when you don’t have time to stop for lunch. It lasts most of the week, and is just as good late in the week as it is early.

Course Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 412kcal

Author Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa rinsed
1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Dressing

½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Salad

1 ½ cups chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 small red onion diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup crumbled feta
fresh parsley or fresh dill for garnish

Instructions

Cook the Quinoa

Rinse your quinoa in a fine metal strainer until the water runs clear. Place in a saucepan over medium-high heat and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broth, salt and oregano and bring to a simmer.
Turn the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff, and let sit covered for another 5 minutes, and then spread the quinoa on a baking sheet and let cool.

Make the Dressing

While the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until smooth.

Salad

Place the cooled quinoa, chickpeas, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and olives in a large bowl. Toss with ½ cup of dressing. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
When ready to serve, toss with the remaining dressing and feta cheese.

Notes

Make-ahead: Keeps 4 days in the fridge. Hold back about ¼ cup of dressing and the feta until the day you eat it, and add tender add-ins like cucumber or avocado day-of so everything stays crisp.

Nutrition