Favorite Quinoa Salad
This quinoa salad recipe is the best! Everyone loves this healthy quinoa salad made with quinoa, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, parsley and lemon.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Introducing my favorite quinoa salad! Iโve published more than a few quinoa salads over the years and I genuinely love all of them, but this recipe is officially my favorite.
This quinoa salad is refreshing, crisp and delicious. Itโs made simply with fresh cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, chickpeas, fresh parsley and a garlicky olive oil and lemon dressing. The salad sort of reminds me of tabouleh, an herbed Lebanese salad with tomatoes and bulgur.
The Best Quinoa Salad
Three reasons to love this recipe:ย
- This quinoa salad recipe is also very easy to toss together, especially if you use leftover quinoa (see recipe note). The recipe uses my preferred quinoa cooking method, which yields fluffy quinoa every time.
- This salad packs great for lunch, picnics, road trips and plane rides.
- Bring this allergy-friendly salad along to your next potluckโitโs vegan/dairy free, gluten free, and nut free, for all to enjoy.
This recipe doesnโt taste โbasic,โ but it has a lot of merits that make it a staple recipe in my kitchen. I hope it becomes your go-to quinoa salad recipe, too! Please let me know how it turns out for you in the comments.
Watch How to Make Quinoa Salad
My summer has been punctuated by fun, casual get-togethers with friends. Spontaneous afternoons at the pool, walks around the park, and potlucksโyes to all of the above. Itโs nice to have supplies at the ready. My pool bag is packed with magazines and sunscreen, and my fridge is stocked with quinoa salad and Bota Box Wine (thank you, Bota Box!).
The โBota Miniโ size is super portable and easy to grab for an evening picnic at the park. The small boxes are convenient because you donโt have to remember to bring a bottle opener, and the empty boxes are lightweight and recyclable. Each 500 mL mini contains three glasses of wine, or just over half of a standard wine bottle. I recommend pairing their light, crisp Sauvignon blanc with this refreshing summer salad.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you and hope this quinoa salad becomes your favorite, too.
Craving more fresh and delicious salads? Here are a few more:
- Quinoa Broccoli Slaw
- Sun-Dried Tomato, Quinoa and Spinach Salad
- Mexican(ish) Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Herbed Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
Favorite Quinoa Salad
This quinoa salad recipe is the best! Everyone loves this healthy quinoa salad made with quinoa, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, parsley and lemon. Itโs vegan and gluten free, too! Recipe yields 4 medium salads or 8 side salads.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ยฝ cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- ยพ cup chopped red onion (from 1 small red onion)
- 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (from 1 large bunch)
- ยผ cup olive oil
- ยผ cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Recipe inspired by the outrageous herbaceous chickpea salad in my cookbook (page 71) and my quinoa tabbouli.ย
*Quinoa note: If you happen to have 3 cups of leftover cooked quinoa, you can use it instead of cooking more.
Change it up: This salad is awesome as written. You can serve it on fresh greens with an extra drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice for dressing. Feel free to top it with crumbled feta cheese or a dollop of cashew sour cream (recipe in my cookbook, page 217).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This post was sponsored by Bota Box and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
This recipe is so good and refreshingly healthy. I made this and brought some for my co-worker who was also doing IF and she loved it. Even my kids enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Iโve made this several timesโฆand love it! Everyone Iโve shared with love it. I sometimes add a can of summer crisp or other corn for extra texture. A great way to include quinoa in my diet.
Another delicious salad! I had extra quinoa and was looking for a recipe to use it up. This is definitely a winner, perfect for summer. Thank you!
Your quinoa salad is absolutely amazing I have it with avocado and cherry tomatoes and with some protein. Itโs my go to salad and itโs gf!
Hi! I made this for a family celebration and it was a hit! I did amp up the veggies and reduce the quinoa amount slightly because after cooking the volume of quinoa was HUGE! The best thing was that the leftovers were fought over, and I seasoned up the extra quinoa with simple garlic and onion powder and S&P and even that was fought over! This is the absolute best quinoa Iโve ever made. Kudos on the cook and rest ratios! Iโve never had quinoa on immediate use that was fully bloomed! It is usually a thing that happens after fridge overnight. Not with this recipe! I will never cook quinoa without using this guidance. AndโฆIโve already been asked to make the salad again for upcoming get together! Thanks for giving me a great quinoa base and then adding a yummy salad as a key option!
This is an excellent recipie. Iโve made it 3 times now. 2 of those times as written. One time I did not Parsley but I did have cilantro which was excellent also in the recipie.
A new favorite salad in my house! I followed the recipe exactly and it was super! I love feeling full and healthy. When we eat such nutritious food, we donโt crave bad food. Thank you!
I came across this recipe and can say it is absolutely delicious! The lemon dressing is so perfect. 10/10!!
Hi Maria, Iโm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to rate and review.
I love chickpea salad and eat it regularly. This is my first time adding quinoa and it is a wonderful modification. I further modified your recipe by adding 1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill and 2 T of Dijon mustard. I highly recommend the additions. I found the salad just a little flat without. But I followed the rest of your recipe to the T and am enjoying it now. Thank you!
Hi Karen, the Dijon and dill sound great! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I find that once I get the method down, modifications like these are easy and keep recipes fresh.
I make this recipe for something quick and easy and nutritious to feed to my partner and friends. We just love it!
So good. About how much is one serving?
Hi Michelle, about 3/4 cup.
Delicious. Iโve made this a few times and instead of parsley I added cilantro and a bit of mint leaves. Always a hit. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Linda, I love the idea of switching up the herbs for a fresh take on this salad.
This salad was delicious. The bright flavor of the dressing and the fresh vegetables and parsley made a perfect main dish salad for a dinner on a hot, humid summer day.
Hi Esther, Iโm glad this recipe worked for you. Itโs one of my favorites during these steamy summer days. Stay cool!
Delicious!! Another great & healthy recipe. So easy to make. Will definitely make often. Thank you!
This was a hit at a recent potluck where there were several cultures and dietary needs represented. Everyone loved the flavor saying it tasted fresh and clean. It was a real standout. Even those who had never tried quinoa before praised how delicious it was.
Do you use all the โcookedโ Quinoa in this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Fran, yes, the other ingredients are scaled to use with all the cooked quinoa.
We make this every week! Great recipe!
Ive also made the Recipe can you show me or teach me how to use or how to cook give me example some more idea
Hi Rugie, I have a list of โfundamentalsโ recipes that are helpful for beginning cooks.
Absolutely delicious! I had all of the ingredients on hand, and added about 5 ounces of Greek feta (one brined piece crumbled). Perfect healthy dinner for a summer evening.
Hi Theresa, Iโm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Easy, tasty, nutritious
Doesnโt get any better than that
Iโve made this several times! Itโs a favorite in our home โค๏ธ
This is great especially for gluten free folks
So many compliments
OMG! This is truly one of the best recipes I have ever tried! The proportions and ratio of the ingredients are so well balanced! Thank you soooooo much. God bless you abundantly.
Fabulous salad. Thanks for your quinoa cooking recommendation. I used Japanese rice wine vinegar and added 1 teaspoon of sugar to offset its bitterness and, as I saidโฆ fabulous! Prep time, however, needs to adjusted upward. Thanks.
I forgot to choose the 5 star rating this recipe deserves. Sorry!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I have a family of vegans and vegetarians and all of them raved about it. So simple and deliciousโฆbut the best of all is finally cooking perfect quinoa. cook it uncovered. who knew?
Hi Donna, yes, the simple step makes quinoa turn out perfect every time.
I experience that the quantities when you increase the recipe, do not change or adjust to the change. A great recipe for picnics.
Hi Sandra, Iโm sorry, sometimes the plug in that adjusts the quantities on the recipe scaler is a little glitchy. Iโm glad that you enjoy the recipe, though! It is one of my favorites for potlucks or picnics.
Soooo easy and delicious!!! I made this salad exactly as written except for leaving out the garlic. Everyone loved it and I will be making this again & again in the future! Thanks!!!
It would be ever so helpful if your cucumber and pepper ingredients included quantity measures more specific such as cups or grams or ounces.
Hi Jeri, 1 to 1.5 cups of cucumber and pepper works in this recipe. Since these vegetables are generally available for purchase as single items, I specify that way so that itโs easy to make a grocery list.
Cucumbers come from my garden and they are not typical grocery store sizes. And generally peppers here in Italy are much larger than in America.
WOW! I made this salad as a side with dinner. It made a large bowl. Between me, my husband, and my 12-year old, the bowl was gone! My 12 year had 2 helpings and hid a small bowl for her lunch. And my husband does like quinoa but went back for more! Now Iโll be making it for a party. I did not have lemon or parsley, but substituted with lime and cilantro.
My husband and I just love this salad . Great taste and it reminds us of our trip to the Middle East
Hi, it turned a delicious salad . I did added a little honey cause the lemon was really overpowering the salad. Excelente salad thank you
Hi Dyane, Iโm glad you enjoyed it! Adjusting the dressing to taste is perfect. Sometimes lemons can be more or less intense.
This recipe is delicious, fresh, and filling. I loved taking this salad to work or eating it for a lighter dinner. I did end up making more dressing, since I prefer a โsaucierโ salad, but otherwise loved this recipe.
I have tried numerous recipes that didnโt reach the top bar. However this is the best Quinoa recipe that I have ever made. Thankyou for this. My family raved about it. A big wow!
Soooo good! Fresh and delightful. Thank you
This was excellent. I took it to a Labor Day cook-out, everyone loved it. The only change I made was to cut back on the quinoa (it seemed like a lot) and added one fresh farmstand ear of grilled corn (because itโs that time of year). Lots of requests so I forwarded the recipe. Thank you! I will make it again for an upcoming company picnic, requires gluten- and nut-free, and very nutritious.
A big hit at our community Labour Day BBQ! Great for the Celiac, vegans, vegetarians, kids. The only one it didnโt do for was the one who eats keto. Our farm market had fresh local Paula Red apples, so I chopped one in. Added nice hits of sweet-tart.
Hi Anne, I am so glad your party enjoyed it! The addition of apple sounds wonderful.
I made the Quinoa Salad and it was excellent! The only change I made was to use 1/4 cup less water when cooking the Quinoa.