This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This quinoa chickpea salad makes you want to eat healthy. It’s tangy from an apple cider vinaigrette and full of crunchy things—cucumber, red onion, toasted almonds. Perfect for potlucks, or for stocking the fridge with make-ahead lunches all week long.
This quinoa chickpea salad is absolutely my new favorite thing to eat. Everything gets tossed in a sharp, herb-laden apple cider vinaigrette that tastes like it’s been waiting its whole life to wake up a bowl of grains and legumes. And then there are all the little crunchy bits—cucumber, toasted almonds—and the soft, salty crumble of feta. It’s exactly the kind of thing you want hanging out in the fridge for easy, healthy lunches, and it also happens to be a very good salad to bring to a dinner party.
Looking for more healthy salad recipes? This healthy couscous salad is full of delicious bits, and you’ll fall head over heels for this refreshing and healthy crab meat salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This
- It’s full of healthy goodies: With grains, legumes, vegetables, and a from-scratch vinaigrette, this quinoa chickpea salad is such a win.
- It’s multi-purpose: You can make a batch for lunches for the week, or bring it to a dinner party as a shareable.
- It’s delicious: I love it when healthy tastes this good. The bright apple cider vinaigrette brings such a fantastic tang to this salad. It’s hard to imagine growing tired of it!
Quinoa Chickpea Salad Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Fresh herbs: Using fresh herbs is key in this recipe. Although you could go for dried herbs, the flavor would fall flat.
- Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas for convenience. If you prefer to use dried beans, follow the directions for soaking and cooking them. Note that it will increase the prep and cook time for the recipe.
- Quinoa: I like to cook my quinoa in broth for extra flavor.
Modifications
- Lemon juice: Use instead of apple cider vinegar for a fresh, lemony flavor.
- Herbs: Bring mint to the equation for an extra punch of freshness. Basil is also great.
- Nuts: You could use toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans.
Step-By-Step: How to Make Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Step 1: Cook the Quinoa
I like to cook my quinoa in broth for more flavor. You can use chicken or vegetable broth in this recipe. Another option is seasoning the water with a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt. Once the quinoa is done cooking, let it cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Toast the Almonds
Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, decrease the heat to low and add the almonds to the pan. Let them toast, shaking the pan often, until golden and aromatic. Keep a close eye on them so that they don’t burn.
Step 3: Chop & Prep Ingredients
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Chop the cucumbers and onions and transfer them to the same bowl. Then, add the crumbled feta, toasted almonds, and cooled quinoa.
Step 4: Make the Dressing
Into a blender or magic bullet, add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, a garlic clove, one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, one teaspoon of maple syrup, two tablespoons of chopped fresh dill, two tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, and a few cranks of black pepper. Blend until smooth.
Step 5: Bring It All Together
Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss everything well to coat. Give it a taste and add more dressing, bit by bit, until you reach your desired flavor. Any extra dressing can be kept in the fridge in an airtight bottle for 3-5 days. It can be used to liven up leftovers if necessary.
What to Serve With Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
Something with a bright, acidic flavor will do the trick. Because quinoa is nutty in flavor, and chickpeas are dense, you want to liven them up. The apple cider vinaigrette used in this recipe is fantastic. A lemon-based dressing would also fare well.
Absolutely. Quinoa is packed with complete protein, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, making it a nutrient-dense base. Chickpeas bring their own list of benefits by supporting digestion, stabilizing blood sugar, promoting heart health, and even helping with weight management.
Storage
Quinoa Chickpea salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days if you’ve tossed the dressing in, and up to 6 days if you’ve left the dressing on the side.
The dressing can be kept in an airtight bottle for 3-5 days.
If you try this Quinoa Chickpea Salad, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating! And let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Crunchy Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh dill
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa, then transfer it to a saucepan. Add 1 3/4 cup of liquid (you can use water, but I like to use chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor). When the quinoa is done cooking, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Heat a small dry pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, reduce the heat to low and add the almonds. Let them toast until golden and aromatic, shaking the pan often to prevent burning. (Keep a close eye on them.)
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the cucumbers and onions and transfer them to the same bowl. Add the crumbled feta, toasted almonds, and cooled quinoa.
- Into a blender or magic bullet, add the apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic clove, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, chopped fresh dill, chopped fresh parsley, sea salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss everything well to coat. Taste it, and add more dressing bit by bit until you achieve your desired flavor.
- Garnish with extra chopped herbs and serve with lemon wedges.
