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! I’ve 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. It’s 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:
- 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 potluck—it’s vegan/dairy free, gluten free, and nut free, for all to enjoy.
This recipe doesn’t taste “basic,” 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 potlucks—yes to all of the above. It’s 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 “Bota Mini” size is super portable and easy to grab for an evening picnic at the park. The small boxes are convenient because you don’t 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. It’s 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 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
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.
*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 nutritionist’s 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!
I absolutely love this quinoa salad! I’ve made it several times and still crave it. It travels and keeps in a cooler very well. Thanks for making and sharing this delicious salad! Grace
Thanks for sharing, Grace! I’m happy you loved it.
Your recipe for cooking quinoa is spot on, not soggy and perfect. I’m adlibbing slightly from your recipe and putting in diced tomatoes, cilantro,and red cabbage.
I took out red pepper, parsley and onions..
It was great and thank you for sharing your recipes
Loved this!!! Changed it up a bit with finely chopped kale, black beans, roasted slivered almonds and a little bit of crushed macadamia nuts . Super good ! Thank you …
Absolutely delicious and easy to make. My 14 year old daughter tried this and said “you need to make this more often!”.
Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Miriam!
Delicious! Can’t wait to share with my friends and family. I will make this over and over again.
Wonderful, Kari!
OMG I just made this and it is perfect. I didn’t have parsley so I omitted it otherwise made as is and LOVE it. Definitely a keeper.
Thank you for your review, Joan!
Looks great! What can I sub red wine vinegar with?
Hello! Balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar can all be a good substitute.
Love this recipe! Have made it for so many people, loved by many, and super healthy!
Thank you for sharing, Marlena!
This is delish!! The perfect light salad for a gathering or for lunch or a snack. I really like the lemon dressing – very fresh. I didn’t change a thing. Gracias! Lu
Thank you, LuAnn!
I tried your method for cooking the quinoa as I too am fed up with the slushy mess I normally get. I have to say I got great results from your method and the recipe was delicious too!
I’m happy it worked for you, Ros!
wondering if I could substitute black beans for chickpeas? Thanks!!
You can. It will change the flavor, but would still work.
Very delicious salad… Thanks for sharing the recipe
You’re welcome, Sushmita!
Made this recipe yesterday for a cookout. I omitted the red onion, but followed the recipe otherwise. Great non-pasta salad that can be prepped in advance and travels well! I ate again for lunch today. Great for a crowd with various food allergies.
Thank you for sharing, Julie!
Hi, Kate – I am new to your site, but just made this lovely salad to take to work for lunch the rest of the week. Our son stopped by for dinner, helped me make it and took half of it home for himself! I’ll definitely be back for more Cookie and Kate!
You’re welcome, Brenda! I’m happy you liked this one.
Going to make this. Looks yummy! Perfect for summer!
I am a person who makes WAY TOO MUCH OF EVERYTHING. Can this salad be frozen or will everything be soggy? Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This one wouldn’t be great frozen, sorry! It does make great leftovers for the week.
I made this receipt as directed but added 2ears fresh cooked corn and when serving added chopped tomato and little sour cream. Very good, thank you for the receipt.first time using Quinoa
Thank you for your review, Barb!
This has been my go to salad this summer. I make it on the weekend and take it for lunch, sometimes eating it for breakfast too! I love it!
I’m glad you loved it, Roopali!
Amazing salad! Only change was I added some baby spinach! So yummy!
You’re welcome, Lindsay!
Thankyou for this recipe Kate! So so good! Wanted to scoff the entire lot!
I love it! You’re welcome, Sophie.
Wow! Very delicious salad! Love it and that it keeps for several days. Definitely a winner!
Great to hear, Mary!
The Favorite Quinoa Salad recipe sounds great! I’d love to serve it for a large group event. Do you have an idea approximately the measurement that you are allowing for the side salad, ie: half a cup. Thank you very much!
Nina
Hi Nina, That sounds about right!
I found the dressing a bit acetic so added some honey….delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Sars.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. This was my first time cooking quinoa and I followed your recipe which resulted in such perfectly cooked quinoa. This recipe resulted in very delicious quinoa salad. I topped it with crumbled feta cheese as suggested. Thank you again for this recipe which is a sure keeper.
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Yoges.
The best salad I have made for myself so far! So delicious! Thank you for sharing @
You’re welcome, Zee!
I love this salad! Very fresh and satisfying!
Thank you for sharing, Darlene!
This is one of the best quinoa recipes I have made. It is absolutely delicious and lasts a long time. No deviations from the recipe just as it is. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Colleen!
This quinoa salad is so delicious! It’s light and refreshing. I doubled the recipe and added arugula as a garnish. It was a hit. I will be making this often! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Lynn!
***** Best quinoa salad ever!! Love it. Made with all the ingredients. I peeled cucumbers but I see from picture you don’t need to. thanks for a great recipe. It’s a keeper!!
Happy to hear it, Donna!
Hello! I made this & followed your recipe to the T! It’s just so light & delicious! I had never made anything with quinoa before so your recipe was just perfect! The only thing I did different was to use tri-colored quinoa! Wow! Is that ever amazing! I used more lemon juice, too just cuz we love the tartness! Thank you again! I will check out some of your other recipes as well
I’m glad you love it, Beth!
My husband and I just love this salad. i just shared it with a couple of my vegetarian friends and they love it too! thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you for sharing the recipe, Sharon! I’m happy you all enjoyed it.
Absolutely amazing! I did add a little dill and oregano and added some kalamata olives to my serving – so good as original and with the adds. Thank you! Taking some more recipes with me.
You’re welcome, Rebecca! Thank you for your review. I like your additions.
Made this salad twice and it’s so easy and tasty! Really enjoyed by all!
Thank you Kate!
You’re welcome, Louise!
I have made this quinoa salad several times this summer and it has been a hit every time! We are spending next weekend with our cooking group and this will be one of my contributions. This is quite adaptable, I have added in a variety of fresh vegetables which changes the taste somewhat but always in a good way! And I love the quinoa cooking technique!
Thank you, Sandra! I appreciate your review.
I usually hesitate to make a recipe I’ve never made before to take to someone but I needed a vegetarian meal and I thought this would hit the spot. I was so right. This was delicious. I also added feta cheese. I will definitely make this again.
I’m glad you made it and loved it, Ann!
Just made your recipe. So delicious! Actually letting it rest for 10 minutes right now, and my tummy is rumbling. I found the dressing a little tart so I added about a teaspoon of sesame oil to tone it down and it works better for me. Going to sprinkle a few sunflower seeds on top once the timer goes off and enjoy. Have always enjoyed quinoa salad but this is the first time I’ve made it. (Silly, I know.) I like this better than any other I have tasted. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Maureen. I’m glad you were able to make it work for you.
Can the nutritional information be posted or sent to me please.
Thank you!
Hi Denise! Be sure to allow cookies in your browser so you can see it. It’s a plug-in on my blog. Let me know if you are still having issues!
I made this for a meal train dinner alongside cold roasted chicken for a friend. I provided a separate bag of baby romaine leaves. I made a double batch for my family and this is a winner! The salad is colorful and it was beautiful when my friendʻs mother unpacked it. Thank you so much. I am loving the leftovers.
You’re welcome!
Delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, except for I used balsamic vinegar since I didn’t have red wine vinegar, and I added a little bit extra salt at the end. I ate this for lunch at work and am SO happy to have enough leftover for the next couple days of lunches. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you have leftovers. I appreciate your review, Sarah.
I just made this salad and it was so good, it brought tears to my eyes. I added black olives and a sprinkle of goat cheese on top. This is going into meal prep rotation for me and the BF.
I’m glad you thought it was just that good, Melissa! Thanks for your review.
This is a great salad! As my husband said, “the dressing makes it”. If you’re not vegan or vegetarian and you’re having this as a main dish, topping it with grilled chicken (seasoned with lemon pepper and garlic powder) would be great!
Thank you for your review, Olyn!
Yum Yum Yum! My husband loved it!! He said he felt like he was eating a garden haha! So delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Tonya!
Great recipe thank you!! Didn’t have peppers so swapped out for tomatoes. Added some lemon pulp just because & substituted w apple cider vinegar :) definitely making again
You’re welcome!
I had my older.brother that.got.mix.for.recpie.it.turned.out.great.time we.where.watching Stanley cup playoffs it.was.a.woundrful.turn out.
Thank you for sharing!
I loved this recipe. I made a couple of small changes, though: I added a handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, and I lightly sauteed the red onion in olive oil so it was still crisp but had a slightly milder flavor. I’ll definitely add this salad to my repertoire!
Thank you for sharing, Deborah!
Really liked this. I treated it as more of a method than a recipe, except for the dressing, which I followed exactly.
Suggestion: if you’re using standard cucumbers, slice lengthwise and remove the seeds before slicing, this helps prevent your salad from becoming soggy. Or, do as I do and use Persian cucumbers. If using cranberries, soak them in hot (but not boiling) water while doing all the other prep. Squeeze as much water out as possible and then add to the salad.
Hi Kate,
Do you think I could cool the chickpeas first so they are crunchy?
Thanks :)
Hey Laura! Do you mean cook the chickpeas first? Sure I think that would work!
Lol whoops yes cook not cool! Thanks :)
Love this! My husband loved it. We didn’t have parsley so we substituted cilantro and it’s really yummy and refreshing ! Thank you.
I made this for a potluck at work (tripled the recipe) and received raves about the flavor! I will definitely make it again, perfect side dish, very refreshing!
Made exactly as directed. My husband added goat cheese. This was easy and delicious. A keeper
Very yummy as always. I’ll try the left overs with feta tomorrow thanks for the recipe.
This was great! Chickpeas definitely give it a little more stick-to-your-ribs-ness. Can’t wait to try the one with lemon tahini dressing next!
Love this! Perfect recipe to make in bulk and take for lunches. I usually add some chopped spinach and sprinkle pepitas on top for some crunch. I also sometimes add some white cheddar for some extra protein. Thanks again, so delicious!