The Best Quinoa Salad (Quinoa Chickpea Salad | Quick + Easy)
This quinoa chickpea salad is packed with versatile mixed veggies, chickpeas, and avocado in a zesty lemon-garlic dressing, for a delicious and nutritious side salad packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats!
If you don’t already have some, you need to cook the quinoa and allow it to cool completely. If you plan to cook the chickpeas from dry, that should also be done now.If you’re unable to make the quinoa a day in advance, you can still speed up the cooling time. Spread it over a large tray in a thin layer and place it in the fridge. The extra surface area will help the quinoa cool down much quicker.
Prepare the lemony quinoa salad dressing. To do so, first mince/grate the garlic. Then juice the lemon and combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisking well to mix.
Rinse and finely chop all the vegetables using a sharp knife or food chopper. I chopped the pieces as finely as possible apart from the avocado, which I left in slightly larger chunks.Feel free to remove the seeds from the tomatoes/cucumber if they feel overly so. This will help to stop the salad from becoming "soggy" quickly.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Leaving it to "marinate" for 20-30 minutes will help all the flavors to meld, though it’s possible to enjoy it immediately if preferred!
How to Store?
Make ahead: it's actually best to prepare the quinoa a day in advance to give it a chance to fully cool. Likewise, I often make large batches of cooked chickpea to store in the fridge/freezer. You can also prepare the vinaigrette 1-2 days in advance, storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. Lastly, it's possible to pre-chop the vegetables (not the avocado) and store them in a separate container. Then, when it comes time to combine everything, drain out any excess liquid from the veg.Store: once assembled, store the quinoa salad with chickpeas in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The veggies will soften over time, though, so it's best within 2-3 days.
Notes
Day-old quinoa is best: it needs to be 100% cooled so it doesn’t wilt or negatively impact the raw veggies in any way.
To increase the quinoa flavor: lightly toast the quinoa in the saucepan until fragrant before cooking it. Also, cook the grains in vegetable stock rather than water.
For crunchier quinoa: after cooking the quinoa, optionally toast it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at a low temperature for a more crunchy rather than chewy texture.
To reduce prep: using a food chopper/mandoline speeds up the chopping time.
Allow it to "marinate": leaving it for 20-30 minutes allows the dressing to meld with the quinoa and veggies to enhance the overall flavor.
Use the best ingredients: use high-quality, ripe, in-season veggies wherever possible for the best flavor and texture.
Check the blog post for optional add-ins, serving recommendations, and answers to top FAQs!