Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas is a filling and vibrant dish. Bursting with fresh veggies and an easy red wine vinaigrette, pack up this hearty salad and bring it to any summer celebration, potluck, or make it for meal prep!

Say hello to your new favorite lunch or side dish! Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas is not only full of bright flavors and fresh vegetables but is also gorgeous to look at. I mean, just look at all of those colors! Who wouldn’t want a scoop on their plate?

It isn’t hard to fall for this quinoa and chickpea salad because it’s:

• Healthy, light, and packed full of protein.
• Perfect for meal prep, picnics, potlucks, and barbecues.
• Easy to make in less than 1 hour.
• Flexible! Easily change up the veggies, dressing, or protein.

This picnic-ready side dish can quickly be thrown together and stored in the fridge for later. Pack it up, pour on the dressing, and enjoy it with plenty of other summer favorites. It pairs perfectly with Vegan Macaroni Salad, Mediterranean Orzo Salad, Chickpea Salad Sandwiches, and more!

Jump to:

• What is quinoa salad made of?
• How to make quinoa salad with chickpeas
• Variations
• Making ahead and storing
• More healthy salad recipes
• Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

What is quinoa salad made of?

• Quinoa - Any color or variety of quinoa will do. Save some time by cooking the quinoa up to 2 or 3 days ahead of time. Just store it in the fridge until you want to assemble the salad.

• Chickpeas - Canned chickpeas are the easiest option but freshly cooked dried chickpeas work just as well.

• Vegetables - I used cherry tomatoes, corn, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion in the salad. There are plenty of other vegetables you can add to a quinoa salad, like avocado, olives, parsley, spinach, or green onions.

• Red wine vinaigrette - This simple dressing is tangy and easy to put together. It’s made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon, salt, and pepper. The extras would pair perfectly with a vegan Greek salad or pasta salad.

How to make quinoa salad with chickpeas

Make sure you rinse the quinoa before getting started. Not only does this remove any debris and dirt, but it also helps the quinoa taste better. After that’s done, you can get started on this picnic-perfect salad:

1. Cook the quinoa: Cook the quinoa in a rice cooker, on the stove, or in an Instant Pot. Set it aside to cool when it’s done (place it in the fridge or freezer to speed up this process).
2. Make the dressing: Add all of the dressing ingredients into a jar, seal with a lid, and shake to combine.
3. Assemble the salad: Transfer the cooled quinoa into a bowl with the salad vegetables.
4. Serve and enjoy: Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad right before serving, then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then enjoy! For full ingredients and instructions see printable recipe card below.

Variations

• Oil free - Replace the vinaigrette with an oil free tahini dressing.
• Mediterranean quinoa salad - Make the salad with kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber, vegan feta cheese, and cherry tomatoes.
• Mexican quinoa salad - Omit the cucumber and bell pepper, and add in avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and black beans. Instead of vinaigrette, dress the salad in the same creamy lime dressing I use in my Mexican street corn salad.
• More vegan quinoa salad add-ins - Add avocado, black beans, seitan chicken, air fryer tofu, vegan feta cheese, balsamic marinated tofu, or fresh herbs.

Making ahead and storing

To make ahead: If you plan on making the quinoa salad ahead of time, store the assembled salad and dressing in separate containers. They’ll both stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To store: The dressed leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Feel free to drizzle extra dressing, oil, or lemon juice over top to rehydrate the salad.

More healthy salad recipes

• Cold Thai Noodle Salad
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• 15 Minute Cowboy Caviar
• Vegan Caesar Salad

Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

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