Favorite Quinoa Salad
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
(718)
Ingredients
4-8 salads
- 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
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Preparation
Step 1
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.
Step 2
In a large serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and parsley. Set aside.
Step 3
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.
Step 4
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.
Step 5
This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Recipe inspired by the outrageous herbaceous chickpea salad in my cookbook (page 71) and my quinoa tabbouli.
*Quinoa note:
If you have 3 cups of leftover cooked quinoa, you can use it instead of cooking more.
Change it up:
Serve this salad 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).
