This Quinoa Chickpea Salad is the proper make-ahead dish. Take pleasure in it this week as a meal-prep lunch, or convey it to a celebration!
Meet the recipe I all the time convey to guide membership and different potlucks. It’s naturally gluten-free and all the time a crowd-pleaser.
This quinoa salad options Mediterranean flavors and is filled with veggies and contemporary herbs. Chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, and crimson onion present loads of crunch, and you’ll customise it with another greens you will have available.
Paired with contemporary lemon juice, parsley, and dill, this dish tastes prefer it got here from a restaurant. The added chickpeas make it filling, and should you omit the optionally available feta, it’s dairy-free and vegan-friendly.
Serve it as a aspect dish or a major course together with your favourite protein.
How you can Make Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Begin by cooking the quinoa. Rinse 1 cup of dry quinoa in a high-quality mesh strainer. It’ll probably look bubbly on prime; hold rinsing till the bubbles disappear.
Switch the rinsed quinoa to a small saucepan and canopy with 1 1/2 cups of water. Carry the liquid to a boil over excessive warmth on the stovetop. As soon as it’s boiling, cowl the pot with a lid, decrease the warmth, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
When the timer goes off, take away the pan from the warmth, however hold the lid on the pot for five extra minutes. This may let the quinoa end cooking with out burning to the underside of the pot.
Take away the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it apart to chill whilst you put together the remainder of the salad elements.
In a big bowl, mix 1/4 cup further virgin olive oil, 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon floor black pepper. Stir briefly to mix.
Subsequent, add half a diced crimson onion, one giant diced cucumber, and one diced crimson bell pepper (take away the seeds and pith). Stir to toss the veggies within the dressing.
Add the marginally cooled quinoa to the bowl of veggies and dressing. Give it one other stir to assist calm down the quinoa much more. Then add a half cup every of chopped flat-leaf parsley and dill, together with 3 chopped inexperienced onions.
Stir once more, then add in a single (15 oz.) can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (additionally referred to as garbanzo beans). Stir all the pieces collectively and modify the seasoning to style.
Add extra salt, a couple of half teaspoon at a time, till the salad tastes flavorful. Then this quinoa chickpea salad is able to serve! It tastes simply as scrumptious after marinating within the fridge, so that is straightforward to prep forward of time.
Seasoning Tip
I often add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt whole, however it will differ based mostly on the number of salt you utilize. Celtic salt, Himalayan pink salt, Kosher salt, and white desk salt will all style barely completely different. Begin by including only a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, so that you don’t find yourself oversalting the dish.
Be at liberty to customise this quinoa salad with any favourite add-ins.
Add nuts or seeds for crunch, like sliced almonds, pepitas, or sunflower seeds. You too can add some crumbled feta cheese for an additional salty, tangy taste. (I often serve this on the aspect for my dairy-free buddies.)
Sliced kalamata olives or cherry tomatoes make a wonderful add-in, too.
Storage Tip
This quinoa chickpea salad might be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Divide it between mason jars for a straightforward packed lunch!
In search of extra quinoa salads? Attempt Quinoa Black Bean Salad (with cilantro) or Quinoa Tabbouleh (with contemporary mint) for extra variations.
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 tablespoons contemporary lemon juice
- ½ crimson onion , diced
- 1 giant cucumber , diced
- 1 crimson bell pepper , seeds eliminated and diced
- ½ cup contemporary dill , chopped
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley , chopped
- 3 inexperienced onions , chopped
- salt and black pepper
- 1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans , drained and rinsed
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Begin by rinsing the dry quinoa in a high-quality mesh sieve. Rinse it beneath working water till no extra foam or bubbles seem. Switch the quinoa to a small saucepan and canopy it with 1 ½ cups of water. Carry the liquid to a boil, then cowl the pot and decrease the warmth. Let it prepare dinner lined for 10 minutes.
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When the timer goes off, take away the pan from the warmth however go away the lid on for five extra minutes. This may let the quinoa end cooking with out burning or sticking to the underside of the pan. When the 5 minutes are up, take away the lid and fluff it with a fork.
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When you wait on the quinoa to prepare dinner, add the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of high-quality sea salt, and ½ teaspoon floor black pepper to a big mixing bowl.
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Add the diced crimson onion, cucumber, and bell pepper to the bowl of dressing and stir effectively. When the quinoa is completed, add it to the bowl and stir once more. Then add the freshly chopped dill, parsley, and inexperienced onion.
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Lastly, stir within the drained chickpeas and season the salad to your liking. I often add one other ½ teaspoon of high-quality sea salt, however it will differ based mostly on the kind of salt you utilize and your individual private style buds. You’ll be able to serve this instantly, however I feel it tastes even higher after an hour within the fridge.
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Retailer this quinoa salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. You’ll be able to prime it with nuts for crunch, feta for further tangy taste, or your favourite protein.
Energy: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fats: 12g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1454IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3mg
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