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!
Amazing salad! I made a batch to take on an overnight flight and it was especially delicious. Felt great in our over-tired, slightly travel-nauseated stomachs, and so much fresher than airline food. Plus the clean protein kept us going. 1000% recommend. I made as directed but I can’t wait to experiment with some of the suggestions of other reviewers. Thanks Kate!
I just made this to bring for lunch this week and it is delicious! I love it.
That’s great to hear, A!
I followed the recipe as given and it turned out really well. However, following a friend’s suggestion, I added about a cup of crumbled feta cheese and it tasted even better. She had made one adding olives as well, but I thought the olives might be a bit overpowering so I skipped them. Very happy with the final product. Thank you for the great recipe.
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Eve! I appreciate your review.
I followed the recipe as given and it turned out really well. However, following a friend’s suggestion, I added about a cup of crumbled feta cheese and it tasted even better. I understand adding feta is not vegan, but I made it for a party, and obviously not everyone is vegan, so it worked well for that purpose. My friend had made one adding olives as well, but I thought the olives might be a bit overpowering so I skipped them. Very happy with the final product. Thank you for the great recipe.
Delicious and is similar to but different from my Israeli salad w cous-cous v quinoa, tom v red pepper and mint v parsley. I love the dressing and wish I’d made 2 servings now, won’t last long!
Great to hear, Jessica! Thank you for your review.
Absolutely delicious & with every mouthful my body said thankyou ❤️ I added feta, cranberries, fresh basil & mint.
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Gabriella!
This quinoa salad is a burst of freshness and flavors! A symphony of textures and colors that makes every bite a delight. It’s not just a salad; it’s a culinary masterpiece!
I made this recipe because I had leftover cooked quinoa. I loved it and added some feta cheese, but didn’t need to; it was super as is. This is going to be one of my new go-to lunch salads.
Best salad – just keep on making it whether for a crowd or sit in the fridge and choose for a tasty lunch with feta. I soak and cook chickpeas separately
How many ppl would you say this serves?
Hi! The serving information is in the recipe card. This makes 8 side salad.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe – I make it all the time. I follow the instructions exactly as it is written. My family absolutely love it. Always a hit. Thank you
You’re welcome, Fay!
Do canned chickpeas need to be cooked?
No need to cook them, Rose. I hope you enjoy this salad!
No. Best canned chickpeas ever are at Aldi. Dakota Pride.
Super tasty! I had extra quinoa leftover and thankfully all these ingredients! I substituted cilantro instead of parsley. Added avocado and cherry tomatoes. Perfect for a quick I don’t know what to eat dinner!
This is really good! I found the dressing a little lemon heavy but I added 1-2 tsp of honey!! Yumm! I also got 1/4 c of lemon juice from 1 med lemon!! Thanks for the recipe it’s delicious
You’re welcome, Tanya!
Just made this for our office’s holiday potluck! So lovely and easy, and a big crowd pleaser. Added some vegan feta crumbles, but made no other changes.
Sure this will be going into my recipe rotation.
That’s great to hear, Diana! Thank you for sharing.
This is one of my most favorite recipes, and there’s so many variations. One of them is with cilantro instead of parsley and adding black beans, corn, and avocado. However, my very favorite is sticking to the recipe just as listed here yet adding toasted sesame oil, with toasted sesame seeds, some shelled edamame. Then I top with Sriracha to taste. SO GOOD.
Thank you for sharing, Emily!
I love this quinoa salad! I’ve made this so many times and it’s always fresh, crunchy, easy & delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Wendy!
I love this salad! Sometimes I will add edemame and halved cherry tomatoes just to expand the amount of servings, but I love it as it is! Thanks for the recipe!
Best Quinoa Salad
I make it at least once a month and have it for lunch everyday. So healthy and delicious! Sometimes add cilantro instead of parsley. Thanks for another great recipe!
I’m glad you loved it, JBF!
I absolutely love this recipe. I just made it for the first time and my 4 year old daughter and I are loving it and there’s plenty left over! I did substitute out the onions for kalamata olives (to give it the punch of flavor that an onion would give) and also I used kale instead of parsley. This was delicious and the quinoa came out perfectly (for the first time in my life lol). I’d probably do a little less olive oil next time and also add some feta but all in all this is absolutely a 10/10 most definitely recommend! Thank you, Kate! This was exactly what I was looking for!
It’s lemon season where I live, so instead of juice I finely chopped slices of lemon, used a little spicy olive oil, and left out the red onions because I’ve read in the past that raw onions left unrefrigerated can be unhealthy, and I also added a few chopped green olives.
Thank you for sharing, Sarah!
Delicious salads and so healthy I really like your recipes. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Liljana!
Delicious and a hit at Christmas time with the extended family!
Just had this for my lunch and wow so delicious. I added feta and a hard boiled egg. It was my first time making quinoa so I messed it up and it was mushy but the flavour was so good it didn’t matter. Thank you for sharing. So glad I have the rest for my lunches for the week
Delicious! The only thing I added was some corn which added another dimension to it. But would still eat it without the corn. Will definitely be making it again and again
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Chumima.
Delicious and a go to salad. I used parsley but added some fresh dill it was still delicious. Next I think I’ll try some chopped kale – Janine
It’s very good and I bet will be better tomorrow! I was lazy and used garlic powder. Also halved the recipe. I might add feta to the leftovers to see how that is!
Thank you for sharing, Cathleen!
So good! I didn’t have any chick peas so substituted roasted sweet potato.
I made this salad today and it is delicious!! I love the dressing and salads chrunch veggies. I left out onions because I don’t like them and added a small scoop of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base when I cooked the quinoa. I will make this again, thank you!
You’re welcome, Dani!
I made this salad today and it is delicious!! I love the dressing and salads chrunch veggies. I left out onions because I don’t like them and added a small scoop of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base when I cooked the quinoa. And added pistachios! I will make this again, thank you!
You’re welcome, Dani!
Have made this recipe before. Each time a winner. How much preparation time does it usually take? It took me hours and I wonder what I’m doing wrong?
It depends on how efficient you are on preparing the vegetables. I try to provide as accurate of an estimated time in the recipe card that I can.
So good! Tried this tonight after cooking quinoa for the first time. This is a big salad so I’ll be enjoying leftovers for a couple days! Great recipe!
Excellent! We decided to incorporate some vegetarian dishes to cut down on meat consumption. This was our first dish and it was a winner. I roasted the chick peas before adding to the salad. But everything else was as written.
Hi,
the serving size says 8 side salad. How many cups would you say each serving is. About a half? I am just trying to calculate portions.
Thank you!
1/2/- 1 cup for a serving size.
Hi! I’m going to make this tonight How would you recommend adding more protein to it? Thank you! This looks so yummy
Hi Vanessa, You could add more chickpeas if you prefer.
Hi! When I make this salad (which is often!) I always add a half a can of drained black beans! Adds some protein!
Hi! i just made this and am wondering if I should add the dressing to the salad prior to storing it or should I add the dressing before eating it? Thank you!
This is fine to add to be stored.
This recipe is the best! I love the dressing, and I add the veggies I have on hand. It always works beautifully! My common additions: cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls.
My daughter made this today. It is delicious! Love it and I highly recommend.
Great to hear, Michke!
When I am looking for a recipe on the internet and see one from Cookie & Kate, I always pick that one. I know I can rely on it to be delicious. Like all other Cookie & Kate recipes, this one is a real crowd pleaser. Thanks for making the world a better place to eat!!!
This salad is easy to make and taste great I always use this recipe whenever I make a salad
Great to hear, Fiona! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate! This has become my new favourite salad! I have made it a couple of times now, and shared it with all my friends. I also tried it with avocado, and it tasted great. Thank you so much.
VB
This recipe was good and crunchy but I thought it would be more flavorful. I added some feta cheese and more salt which helped but I felt like I couldn’t taste the dressing much. Any advice would be great.
Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Heather!
Love this salad! My husband doesn’t like quinoa but, loves this salad.
Great to hear, Rhonda!
This recipe is so good!! The only quinoa salad i made because simply nothing can beat it. I love adding a bit of mint too, adds a nice little touch!
Your dog is adorable.
Excellent salad! Added some sliced cherry tomatoes and feta cheese as well as more salt and honey to the dressing. Also used shallot and yellow bell pepper as that’s what I had.
I followed the recipe precisely as written and all I can say is absolutely delicious. My mom asked for the recipe. I will be making this again. Thqnk you so much for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome, Christoper! I appreciate your review.
I made this today – so delicious! Especially with a bit of crumbled feta!
AMAZING salad! I roasted the chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper for about 20 mins at 425° and it gave the salad a little crunch! I also added feta which made it even more delicious.
Such a light and delicious meal. Also perfect for meal prepping! Go make this!
Great to hear, Leah! Thank you for your review.