High Protein Quinoa Chickpea Salad (Printable Version)

Fluffy quinoa with chickpeas, fresh vegetables, herbs, and feta in lemon olive oil dressing. Ready in 25 minutes.

# 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 - 0.5 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

→ Dairy

06 - 0.5 cup feta cheese, crumbled

→ Dressing

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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold running water using a fine mesh strainer.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa with 2 cups of water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
03 - While the quinoa cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, and chop the fresh parsley or cilantro.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, drained chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, chopped herbs, and crumbled feta cheese.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes for a colder, more refreshing salad.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It keeps you genuinely full for hours because those chickpeas and quinoa actually stick with you.
  • The prep time is honestly laughable for something this colorful and restaurant-quality looking.
  • It tastes just as good cold the next day, which means you can make it Sunday and forget about lunch planning for two days straight.
02 -
  • If you dress this salad more than an hour before serving, the feta will begin absorbing moisture and the whole thing gets softer than ideal—either dress it just before eating or add the dressing tablespoon by tablespoon as you eat it over the course of a few days.
  • The salad tastes better when everything is roughly the same temperature; if your quinoa is still warm and you add cold ingredients, the flavors seem duller until it all comes together after sitting for a while.
03 -
  • Toast your quinoa in a dry pan for two minutes before cooking it if you want deeper, nuttier flavor—it's optional but changes the entire character of the salad.
  • Double the dressing recipe and keep extra in a jar; it's perfect for drizzling over roasted vegetables or as a marinade for grilled chicken that might join this salad someday.
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