High Protein Quinoa Chickpea Salad (Print Page)

Vibrant Mediterranean-style bowl with fluffy quinoa, chickpeas, crisp vegetables, and tangy feta in lemon olive oil dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Grains & Legumes

01 - 1 cup quinoa
02 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables & Herbs

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cucumber, diced
05 - ½ cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

→ Dairy

06 - ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold running water until water runs clear.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed quinoa with 2 cups water or vegetable broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and cool briefly.
03 - While quinoa cooks, halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber, and chop fresh herbs.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled quinoa, drained chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, chopped herbs, and crumbled feta cheese.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
07 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 30 minutes for a chilled version.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes just as good on day three as it does fresh, which means you can actually make it ahead without regret.
  • The combination of quinoa and chickpeas gives you enough protein to feel full without that heavy, weighed down feeling.
  • Every bite has texture contrast, from the fluffy quinoa to the creamy feta to the crisp cucumber.
  • You can toss it together in the time it takes the quinoa to cook, no complicated steps or fancy techniques required.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the quinoa, it will taste bitter and soapy because of the natural coating called saponin.
  • Let the quinoa cool completely before mixing it with the vegetables, or the heat will wilt the cucumber and tomatoes.
  • Taste the dressing before you pour it on, you can always add more lemon or salt but you cannot take it back once it is mixed in.
03 -
  • Cook the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water for deeper flavor without any extra effort.
  • If your feta is too salty, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes before crumbling it into the salad.
  • Double the dressing recipe and keep the extra in a jar in the fridge, it is perfect for drizzling on roasted vegetables or grain bowls all week.
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