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
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 side salads 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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 Information
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!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Sharon
I’ve been making this salad for quite sometime now – we LOVE it. We’ll have it as main dish in the summer or as a side dish any time. I make it exactly as the recipe is written except, as others have done, will add feta cheese. Thank you for this amazing recipe and all of the others you have shared with us.
Kate
That’s great to hear, Sharon! Thank you for your review.
Jenna
Delicous
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jenna!
Sydney
I never want to be that person that’s like “delicious! Here are the fifteen changes I made!” But I did make a couple tweaks.
For a kind of Tex-mex feel, I swapped the parsley with cilantro, added a can of drained corn, and used lime juice instead of lemon. All in all, this is a super tasty salad! Very fresh and filling without weighing me down. I think a couple jalapeños would be a good addition, as well as maybe a tomato or two. I know I made a few changes, but I do think this is a great base recipe!
★★★★★
mkecheryl
That’s a great idea, the Tex-Mex alterations. If I did that I’d probably switch out the chickpeas for black beans, personally, but that’s just personal preference. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Chivonne
I have made this recipe SO many times I have lost count. It is my absolute favourite and loved by all my guests :)
★★★★★
Grace
Absolutely loved this salad! So refreshing now that it’s getting a little warmer! I reduced the cucumbers by half, and added 1 grated carrot and some cherry tomatoes
★★★★★
Keith
It’s fantastic and works perfectly paired with grilled meats and fish. I’m wondering how you have the 8 side salads portioned out? Is it by cups, ounces…? I’m tracking calories and macros and this info would be so very useful. Thank you for an outstanding recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Keith! I would suggest cups. Thank you for you review!
Katalin
Delicious, healthy, beautiful. Loved it.
★★★★★
Erin
Really really good and easy to make! I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used dried – I know it would be even better with fresh, but still delicious. Even my husband who normally sticks his nose up at quinoa enjoyed this.
Kate
Great to hear, Erin!
Shari Tiller
This quinoa salad has become my family’s favorite!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Shari! I appreciate your review.
Jay
I have just made this and enjoyed it so much I had to leave a comment! I didn’t plan on making it but it uses ingredients that I happened to have in so it was perfect. I added some toasted almonds as well because why not. Such a perfect light yet filling lunch when working from home. Thanks for posting!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jay!
Alexa
This was delicious!!! Your instructions were clear and it was easy to make. I used three lemons and found it to be a bit too sour so in the future I’ll probably just use two (I also didn’t measure just squeezed them in), but I just added another pepper since I had one lying around and some more olive oil and it was great.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Alexa! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Kathy
This is so easy to make and really good. I would t change a thing.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Kathy!
Randi
AHHH I don’t have any LEmon or lime in the house; what could I sub?
Kate
I really recommend it. What did you decide to do?
Chef Bill
Delicious recipe… Served it along side some spicy shrimp, avacado and topped with feta and a lemon garlic aioli. Definitely a keeper
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear! I appreciate your review.
Tina
I have your cookbook and unfortunately this recipe is not in it. I’m so happy that I can get this recipe on line! I’m going to make a large batch of this for a baby shower. The picture looks like you used multiple colored quinoa, can you share what type of quinoa you used. I want it to turn out just like yours!!!! My daughter and I both have your cookbook and love your recipes. Thank you
Kate
I’m glad you are loving my cookbook too, Tina! I appreciate your comment.
Rachel
Ok, I have to leave a comment finally. I am a pilot and this recipe has saved me for like 2 years now, I make it ALL the time and bring it on majority of my trips. Thank you so much for creating it, I just can’t get enough of it!!!
Ruth
Oh my gosh! My sister made this for me and I absolutely love it! I am trying really hard to incorporate more healthy foods into my life and this really did it for me.
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, Ruth! Thank you for your review.
Aggie
I have been making this salad from your recipe for two years or so. It never disappoints and is always a hit! Absolutely perfect, thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Aggie! I appreciate your review.
Bev
Delicious!!!
So colorful and tasty. I’ll be making this all summer long. Thank ya for the recipe
★★★★★
Kate
Your’e welcome, Bev! Thank you for your review.
Margaret
Yummmm this was delicious. Made it Sunday night to enjoy all week. I added chopped up kalamata olives and some Mediterranean seasoned Feta crumbles from TJ’s because I wanted mine to be more like a Greek salad. Would definitely make again. Really good for having guests over and making in advance because I think salads like this get better after a night in the fridge.
★★★★★
Kate
Yes, this is great to have on hand! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Régine
I have made this recipe many times, and taking it tomorrow to a picnic. It is sooo satisfying. Also, I love the fact that I can print a recipe to match the number of people I’ll serve it to.
Thank you, Kate. You are the best.
★★★★★
Jan
LOVE this recipe! I would have made it exactly as written except (1) I have a food sensitivity to cucumber (substituted celery, excellent!); AND (2), I roasted the chickpeas because I read it somewhere and it sounded like a good idea. It was superb. (Rinse/drain chickpeas, dry on paper towel. Toss chickpeas with a tsp. of olive oil in a ziploc bag, then spread on a sheet pan. Bake at 350°for 35-40 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through cooking time. Finish with salt, to taste. SO good and extra crunch). Just one other way this FANTASTIC recipe can be tweaked for variety. It will definitely be on regular rotation.
★★★★★
Phyllis hollett
Hi Kate,
This was amazing and I added avocado.It will definitely be one that I have often.Thanks for the recipe.
Paris
Love this recipe! I served it with warm roasted sweet potato and diced avocado! We are going to pack the leftovers with spinach for a salad on the go!
★★★★★
Kate
Yes, this makes great leftovers. I’m happy you enjoyed it, Paris!
Rizi
This is my GO TO for entertaining and it’s a hit every time. So refreshing and nutritious.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Riti!
ChrisM
I love this recipe – even my kids like it. Great flavor and full of healthy stuff! I accidentally used cilantro instead of parsley and it’s equally as delicious. I’ve also added lemon zest.
★★★★★
Nancy Alt
Just made this and served it with grilled steak. Delicious. Not a bit left.
★★★★★
Kate
Love it! Thank you for your review, Nancy.
Cynthia
It’s been a year since I first made this quinoa salad, and it’s still my favorite! I love cilantro so I decided to switch out the parsley for cilantro. I leave out the minced garlic due to personal preference. When I’m ready to eat it I throw in some diced avocados and top with cotija cheese. I have literally made a big batch and had it everyday for lunch sometimes with a serving of chicken breast or fish
★★★★★
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Cynthia.
Patricia
I add marinated chopped artichoke hearts to this recipe. Perfect for a summer barbecue!
Sharon
This salad is amazing!!! I had some leftover chicken that was marinated in a Greek marinade and then grilled. I added it to some of this quinoa salad and it was delicious. Perfect cool and refreshing dinner for this scorching hot and humid night!! I highly recommend it!!!!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Sharon! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Allison
Oh my!! You must make this! I read the reviews and decided to add the feta. Delish! But great without too. A real keeper!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Allison!
Dianne
Soooo good! Made this last night for an extended family gathering. Since my daughter in law has to eat gluten free, this was perfect. Everyone enjoyed it and it’s even better the next day. Also loved your fool proof way to cook quinoa.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Dianne! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Julie Sullivan
I love tabouleh so I loved this salad, I had white quinoa on hand so I made it with that and I think the white quinoa was really good at taking a backgroundflavor to let the fresh vegetable flavors shine in this salad. I found myself eating bowl after bowl just because it was soooo good, served it at room temp as soon as I made it. And it kept well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Bowl by bowl. I love it. Thank you for your review, Julie!