This quinoa salad recipe is the best! Everyone loves this healthy quinoa salad made with quinoa, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, parsley and lemon. It's vegan and gluten free, too! Recipe yields 4 medium salads or 8 side salads.
Recipe by Cookie and Kate on August 18, 2017
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT40M
Rating
4.9 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
Quinoa salad
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
2 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
¾ cup chopped red onion (from 1 small red onion)
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (from 1 large bunch)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Categories
Salad
Cuisine
Mediterranean
Steps
To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, reducing heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to fluff up.
In a large serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and parsley. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.
Once the quinoa is mostly cool, add it to the serving bowl, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Season with black pepper, to taste, and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary. For best flavor, let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 side salad
Calories: 205 calories
Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
Protein: 6.1 g
Fat: 9.4 g
Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 217.9 mg
Sugar: 3.4 g
Reviews
Creed on 2026-07-12 (5 stars): My wife and I don’t mix this salad. We put all ingredients out prepared and the kids can build your own. More garbanzo beans or no tomatoes. Whatever their preference. It works well for us. But is a family favorite.
Roni neate on 2026-07-19 (5 stars): A utter game changer. Shared it with many friends. Great on its own or a side❤️
Jodi from Meadville, PA on 2026-07-20 (5 stars): Thanks, Kate. This recipe is amazing & flavorful for a summer potluck! I add a handful of chopped spinach instead of parsley & cheated with a Balsamic vinaigrette but it was a fan favorite. It’s been my go to recipe this summer!
Susan on 2026-07-23 (5 stars): I’m starting to work on my cookinh skills and I found this recipe. It was very easy to prepare. I really loved it. I was surprised my husband liked it too. It’s refreshing on a hot day. Thank you for the recipe. I’ll be making this often. And I look forward to coming back for recipes.
Christina on 2026-07-25 (5 stars): This salad is excellent. I love adding feta to it. I will make this over and over again.
Stephanie on 2026-07-26 (5 stars): Excellent. I added juice of a lime to the veg/chicpea mix. Also added fresh dill and basil (from the garden) and some cherry tomatoes cut in quarters. Next time I will add some black olives. A keeper, thank you.
Kimberley Rymal on 2026-07-26 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious, it castes like summer on a plate, thank you!
I will definitely be making this again.
h on 2026-07-30 (5 stars): made the recipe, quinoa salad, great suggestion to top w feta.
Sarah on 2026-08-04 (5 stars): Love this salad!! Very simple and clean. I do toast my quinoa prior to cooking, so there’s a subtle nutty flavor. Wish I’d read the comments before - feta would be amazing! Thank you, this is definitely a keeper!!
