This quinoa chickpea salad gives you a fresh, satisfying, and nutritious meal packed with colorful vegetables, Mediterranean flavors, and plenty of plant-based goodness.
If you love easy quinoa meals, try our Greek quinoa salad, quinoa lentil salad, or colorful street corn salad bowl next.
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Why you’ll love this Quinoa Chickpea Salad!
This quinoa chickpea salad is what happens when Greek salad meets quinoa—and honestly, they’re very good together. 🥗 You get juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, salty olives, creamy feta, chickpeas, and plenty of lemony oregano dressing, with fluffy quinoa soaking up all those flavors.
I love borrowing ingredients from different cuisines and bringing them together in one big, satisfying bowl. Quinoa certainly isn’t traditional Greek fare, but its slightly nutty flavor works beautifully with that Greek-inspired combination of feta, olives, lemon, and oregano. 🍋
Louise and I often make this with precooked steamed quinoa because it’s ridiculously convenient and has a lovely slightly al dente bite. Leftover quinoa is perfect too, or you can cook a batch from scratch.
It’s colorful, fiber-rich, protein-rich, and loaded with wholesome ingredients, but also genuinely delicious and filling. And because it keeps well for days, it’s a great one for meal prep and packed lunches—just hold the avocado until serving. 🥑
P.S. For more fresh Mediterranean flavors, try our Greek bean salad, Greek orzo salad, or Mediterranean bean salad.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Quinoa: Precooked, leftover, or freshly cooked all work. Substitute couscous, bulgur, farro, barley, pearl couscous, brown rice, or orzo.
- Chickpeas: Substitute cannellini, butter, black, or kidney beans, or cooked lentils.
- Cherry tomatoes: Substitute grape tomatoes, chopped Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, or chopped peaches in summer.
- Cucumber: Substitute Persian cucumber, diced zucchini, celery, radishes, or crunchy bell pepper.
- Corn: Fresh, frozen, or canned works. Substitute peas, edamame, diced bell pepper, or chopped artichoke hearts.
- Olives: Kalamata are especially good. Substitute green olives, Castelvetrano olives, capers, chopped artichokes, or omit for less sodium.
- Red onion: Substitute shallots, scallions, sweet onion, or pickled red onions.
- Parsley: Substitute fresh dill, basil, mint, cilantro, or scallion greens—or use a combination.
- Avocado: Substitute extra feta, toasted almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or simply omit.
- Feta: Substitute goat cheese, queso fresco, ricotta salata, Parmesan shavings, or dairy-free feta.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use your favorite everyday olive oil; tahini whisked with a splash of water makes an interesting creamier variation.
- Lemon juice: Substitute red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Mustard: Dijon or yellow mustard work. Substitute whole-grain mustard.
- Honey or maple syrup: Use either, or agave. You can also omit the sweetener.
- Dried oregano: Substitute Italian seasoning, dried thyme, or za’atar for a different Mediterranean-inspired twist.
- Salt and black pepper: Adjust to taste, especially if your feta and olives are already quite salty.
How to Make Quinoa Chickpea Salad
1. Cook the quinoa
If starting with uncooked quinoa, rinse 1 cup quinoa under running water, then add it to a saucepan with 1½ cups water and ⅓ teaspoon salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, spread it out if you want it to cool faster, and let it cool slightly before adding it to the salad.
Shortcut: Use about 3 cups leftover or precooked quinoa instead. We often use the steamed quinoa sold in packets because it’s convenient and has a nice, slightly firm texture.
2. Make the dressing and marinate the chickpeas
In a medium bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey or maple syrup, salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then stir them into the dressing.
Let them marinate while you prepare the vegetables. This gives the chickpeas more flavor and makes the whole salad taste better.
3. Chop the vegetables
Add the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, corn, olives, chopped red onion, and parsley to a large mixing bowl.
If you’re serving the salad within a couple of hours, add the diced avocado now.
For meal prep, leave the avocado out and add it just before serving so it stays fresh.
4. Toss everything together
Add the cooked quinoa, diced or crumbled feta, and marinated chickpeas with all their dressing to the bowl.
Toss gently until everything is well coated.
Taste and adjust with more salt, black pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
Serve this chickpea quinoa bowl cold, at room temperature, or slightly warm.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy it as a meal: This quinoa chickpea salad is hearty enough for lunch or a light dinner on its own. For an even more substantial meal, pair it with grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, tofu, falafel, or hard-boiled eggs.
- Go Greek-inspired: Pair it with warm pita, hummus, tzatziki, falafel, and grilled vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, or bell peppers.
- Serve it at a cookout: This is a fresh side for burgers, grilled chicken, veggie burgers, or anything off the grill. It’s also great for picnics and potlucks.
- Pack it for lunch: Portion into containers for work, school, or back-to-school lunches. Leave out the avocado and add it just before eating.
- Turn it into a meal-prep bowl: Use the salad as your base and add a different protein or extra vegetables throughout the week.
- Make a soup-and-salad lunch: Serve a smaller portion alongside roasted tomato soup, creamy lentil soup, or vegetable soup.
- Stuff it into pita: Spoon leftovers into pita pockets with lettuce and hummus or tzatziki for an easy next-day lunch.
Tips
- Don’t overcook the quinoa: Keep it fluffy with a little bite rather than soft or mushy. Let it rest covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Cool the quinoa slightly: Let freshly cooked quinoa cool before mixing so it doesn’t soften the cucumber, tomatoes, and feta.
- Use precooked quinoa: Steamed quinoa from a packet is a great shortcut and has a pleasantly firm texture. Leftover quinoa works beautifully too.
- Marinate the chickpeas: Toss them with the dressing while you chop the vegetables so they absorb more lemon, oregano, and mustard flavor.
- Drain the chickpeas well: Excess water can dilute the dressing and make the salad watery.
- Tame a strong red onion: Soak chopped onion in cold water for about 5 minutes, then drain well for a milder flavor.
- Let the salad sit: Give it 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the quinoa and chickpeas can soak up some of the dressing.
- Add avocado last: If making the salad ahead or meal prepping, add the avocado just before serving.
- Taste before adding more salt: Feta and olives are already salty, so mix everything first, then adjust the seasoning.
- Adjust the lemon at the end: A final squeeze of lemon can brighten the whole salad.
- Reduce the sodium if you like: Rinse the chickpeas and feta, add less salt to the dressing, or reduce or skip the olives.
- Swap the parsley: Dill, mint, basil, cilantro, or scallion greens are all good alternatives. You can also combine a couple of herbs.
- Meal prep without the avocado: The rest of the salad keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, making it great for work or school lunches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It’s excellent for meal prep and actually benefits from sitting for a little while as the quinoa and chickpeas absorb the dressing. If making it ahead, leave out the avocado and add it just before serving.
Let freshly cooked quinoa cool slightly before assembling the salad. It doesn’t need to be refrigerator-cold, but very hot quinoa can soften the cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and herbs.
Absolutely. Precooked steamed quinoa is one of our favorite shortcuts because it’s convenient and usually has a nice, slightly firm texture. Leftover quinoa works just as well.
Yes. Simply leave it out or replace it with goat cheese, dairy-free feta, Parmesan shavings, or another salty cheese you enjoy.
Try fresh dill, mint, basil, cilantro, or scallion greens. A combination of dill and mint is especially delicious with the Greek-inspired flavors.
Absolutely. The avocado adds creaminess but isn’t essential. Leaving it out also makes the salad easier to prepare several days ahead.
Yes. You can serve the salad slightly warm, at room temperature, or cold. Slightly warm quinoa is especially good because it absorbs the dressing beautifully.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For the best texture and color, keep the avocado separate and add it just before serving.
We don’t recommend freezing the assembled salad. Tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and feta won’t have the same fresh texture after thawing.
More Easy Grain and Bean Salads
- Farro Salad
- Pearl Couscous Salad
- Orzo Salad
- White Bean Salad
- Kidney Bean Salad
- 3 Bean Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas
- Mediterranean Rice Salad
If you try this Quinoa Chickpea Salad Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Quinoa Chickpea Salad (With Feta and Marinated Chickpeas)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (I like ready-to-eat quinoa pouches, or cook 1 cup (180 g) uncooked quinoa according to the package directions)
- 1 can chickpeas 15 oz / 400 g or 1½ cups / 230 g cooked chickpeas
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1½ cup cucumber diced
- ¾ cup corn kernels canned, frozen, or fresh
- ½ cup olives pitted
- ½ red onion chopped
- ⅓ cup parsley chopped
- ¾ cup feta cheese diced or crumbled
- 1 ripe avocado optional
For the Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard American or Dijon
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste + black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa, if needed: If you already have 3 cups cooked quinoa, skip this step.Otherwise, rinse 1 cup uncooked quinoa, then add it to a saucepan with 1½ cups water and ⅓ teaspoon salt.Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let it cool slightly.
- Marinate the chickpeas: In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper.Drain and rinse 1 can chickpeas, add them to the dressing, and stir well.Let them marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
- Prepare the vegetables: In a large bowl, add 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved), 1½ cup cucumber (diced), ¾ cup corn kernels, ½ cup olives, ½ red onion (chopped), and ⅓ cup parsley (chopped).Add 1 ripe avocado (diced) if serving within 2 hours. For meal prep, add it just before serving or skip it.
- Mix and serve: Add the cooked quinoa, ¾ cup feta cheese, and marinated chickpeas with all their dressing.Toss gently until well combined. Taste and add more salt, black pepper, or lemon juice if needed.Serve cold, at room temperature, or slightly warm.
Notes
- Quinoa → Couscous, bulgur, farro, barley, pearl couscous, brown rice, or orzo.
- Chickpeas → Cannellini, butter, black, or kidney beans, or cooked lentils.
- Cherry tomatoes → Grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, or summer peaches.
- Cucumber → Persian cucumber, zucchini, celery, radishes, or bell pepper.
- Corn → Peas, edamame, bell pepper, or artichoke hearts.
- Olives → Green or Castelvetrano olives, capers, artichoke hearts, or omit.
- Red onion → Shallots, scallions, sweet onion, or pickled red onions.
- Parsley → Dill, basil, mint, cilantro, scallion greens, or a combination.
- Avocado → Extra feta, toasted almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or omit.
- Feta → Goat cheese, queso fresco, ricotta salata, Parmesan, or dairy-free feta.
- Extra virgin olive oil → Everyday olive oil or tahini for a creamier variation.
- Lemon juice → Red wine, white wine, or apple cider vinegar.
- Mustard → Dijon, yellow, or whole-grain mustard.
- Honey or maple syrup → Either one, agave, or omit.
- Dried oregano → Italian seasoning, dried thyme, or za’atar.
- Salt & black pepper → Adjust to taste, especially with salty feta and olives.
- Don’t overcook the quinoa: Keep it fluffy with a little bite; rest 5 minutes, then fluff.
- Cool it slightly: Warm quinoa can soften the fresh vegetables and feta.
- Take a shortcut: Precooked or leftover quinoa works beautifully.
- Marinate the chickpeas: Let them soak in the dressing while you chop.
- Drain chickpeas well: Extra water can dilute the dressing.
- Tame the onion: Soak it in cold water for 5 minutes for a milder bite.
- Let it sit: Rest the salad for 5–10 minutes before serving.
- Add avocado last: Especially when making the salad ahead.
- Taste, then salt: Feta and olives already bring plenty of saltiness.
- Finish with lemon: Add an extra squeeze if it needs more brightness.
- Reduce sodium: Rinse chickpeas and feta, use less salt, or reduce the olives.
- Swap the parsley: Try dill, mint, basil, cilantro, or scallion greens.
- Storage: Refrigerate for several days and keep the avocado separate until serving.
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
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My wife and I could have eaten the whole bowl! Great flavor and filing, will definitely be in the rotation. We used mozzarella pearls in lieu of feta (she is not a big fan), still great.
Delicious and easy. We did add the avocado and used freshly cooked corn off the cob because it’s in season right now.
Wonderful, Monika, YUM!!
Fresh corn straight off the cob must have been so good in this, especially this time of year. And yes to the avocado! So happy you enjoyed it, thank you for your feedback 🙂
I made this recipe for my daughter-in-law and she LOVED it. So did I. We both thought that the recipe was even better the next day
I absolutely love this recipe. My husband who is quite picky also really enjoyed it. Thank you for a great tasting, healthy recipe.
This was unbelievably delicious! I was craving some sort of greens to go with it, & came across a bag of brussels sprouts. It occurred to me that it may be good adding them directly to the salad, so I used about 1 cup of shredded sprouts. I was right. They WERE a great addition.
I also made it vegan by making a batch of tofu feta.
WHAT A FEAST FOR THE EYES, & A TREAT FOR THE TASTE BUDS!
This was unbelievably delicious. I did make it vegan by making some tofu feta. I also wanted to add some greens to it, & happened across a bag of brussels sprouts in my fridge. It occurred to me that shaved sprouts should be great in this, & it absolutely was! Thanks so much for your gorgeous recipes.
WHAT A FEAST FOR THE EYES!
Absolutely delicious
Delicious and easy to make.