Chickpea Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing and Feta

Chickpea Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing and Feta

Mallory

This Quinoa Chickpea Salad is perfect for a light dinner or healthy lunch! I especially love to meal prep it to have an easy lunch throughout the week. It's got fluffy quinoa, protein-packed chickpeas, tons of fresh flavors from colorful vegetables and herbs, and a delicious lemon vinaigrette drizzled over the entire salad to finish it off!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Course appetizers and side dishes, lunch

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 205 kcal

Equipment

1 saucepan

Ingredients

¾ cup quinoa, dry
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ an English cucumber, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ a red bell pepper, chopped
¼ a red onion, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing Ingredients

¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
pinch black pepper

Instructions

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. This is optional, but I add a pinch of salt to the water for more flavor. Add the quinoa, water, and salt to a saucepan and bring everything to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes with the lid on. Fluff with a fork.
Chop the cucumber, red bell pepper, red onions, and fresh herbs. Cut the tomatoes into quarters. *I gently scoop out some of the cucumber seeds to get rid of some of the moisture.
Prep the dressing: add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar. Whisk it or shake it until everything is emulsified.
To assemble, add the cooled quinoa to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoon of the dressing and mix it to combine. Then add the remaining ingredients and rest of the dressing. Give everything a toss.
Hint: let the quinoa cool before combining everything. This will help the quinoa absorb the flavors and also prevent the salad from being soggy!

Notes

Expert Tips

I like to chop everything into small pieces for this recipe so I get a little bit of everything in each bite.
Dressing the salad in stages by adding a little bit of the dressing to the quinoa first helps make it more flavorful.
Scoop out some of the cucumber seeds before chopping the cucumber to get rid of some of the moisture.
Give it a taste once it's done and add more lemon juice or salt as needed.

Storage

Storage - store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. You can add the dressing in advance because the quinoa will continue to absorb the flavors over time. Ideally, add most of the dressing when making the salad and save a little bit to add right before eating to keep it fresh.

Dietitian Tip

My tip for making sure you get protein in a plant-based meal is to use a few different ingredients that contain protein. Here, we use quinoa, chickpeas, and feta, all of which contribute to the protein in this salad. This quinoa salad also provides vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, healthy fatty acids, and carbohydrates including fiber.

For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSodium: 370mgFiber: 3g

Keyword gluten free, plant-based

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