Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Made with cucumber, red bell pepper, parsley, quinoa, and chickpeas with a homemade lemon dressing, Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad is a the perfect light and healthy side dish for picnics, BBQ’s, and meal prep!
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Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad is a nutritious, Mediterranean-inspired salad that is loaded with good-for-you ingredients!
With fresh veggies, chickpeas, and quinoa, this delicious, dairy-free recipe is perfect for BBQ’s, picnics, and meal prepping!
We like to serve this salad as a side dish during the summer when we grill, but it’s also perfect as a light lunch or the base of a bowl.
See my tip below on how to quickly cool quinoa so your salad is ready faster!
Mediterranean Arugula Quinoa Salad is another great salad with quinoa!
Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down for complete recipe):
- Quinoa – I used white quinoa
- English cucumber
- Chickpeas – canned are best for this recipe
- Red bell pepper
- Red onion
- Italian parsley
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Seasonings – dried oregano, sea salt, pepper
📍 The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to serve this salad
Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad is a great healthy recipe that is super versatile!
- A light side dish to your favorite protein.
- Perfect for summer BBQ’s, parties, and outdoor events.
- The base of a grain bowl. Excellent with arugula, grilled veggies, and your favorite protein.
- A great meal prep recipe to portion out for the week.
Tips & Tricks
- Quinoa type: I used white quinoa for it’s softer, fluffy texture, but red, black, or tri-color quinoa would work if you like a crunchier texture.
- Cooling quinoa: If you transfer the cooked quinoa to a sheet pan and refrigerate it, it will cool much faster! (image below)
Looking for more salads? Here are some favorites:
- Chickpea Avocado Salad
- Mediterranean Balela Salad
- Middle Eastern Salad Shirazi
- Kimchi Cucumber Salad
You can find this and more chickpea recipes in my 20+ Chickpea Recipes collection!
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Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Equipment
- saucepan with lid
- sheet pan
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw quinoa
- 15 ounce canned chickpeas drained
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
Dressing ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 1/2 lemons)
- 1 garlic clove minced finely
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa according to the package's directions. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the salad by adding the chickpeas, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and parsley in a large bowl.
- Once cooked, pour the quinoa on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and put it in the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes.
- While the quinoa cools, make the dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Set it aside.
- Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients and pour the dressing over everything. Toss to incorporate the dressing. It can be served immediately, or kept in an air-tight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Healthy, delicious, and perfect for summer!