This light, lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad is bursting with Middle Eastern flavors (preserved lemons + sumac!) and trust me when I say, you’ll want to serve this up all summer long. Healthy, vegan and super flavorful, this salad satisfies! Video!
Meet your new favorite salad! Not only will love how easy Chickpea Quinoa Salad is, I know you will fall in love with the flavors. Chickpeas and quinoa are tossed with cucumber, tomatoes, kalamatas, red onion, fresh dill and parsley and tossed in a very flavorful Preserved Lemon Dressing. Tart sumac (optional) gives it a sassy little punch.
Lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad | 60-second video
The best thing is, you probably have everything on hand to make this right now – and please don’t worry if you don’t have preserved lemons (take a peek at the recipe notes) but they do truly elevate here.
Preserved lemons, if unfamiliar, are a flavorful Middle Eastern condiment, and in a nutshell, are lemons preserved in salt.
Here they are chopped finely and added to the dressing.
Book mark this Preserved Lemon Dressing- it’s super tasty!
Cook the quinoa while you prep all the veggies.
Here I’ve used canned chickpeas but feel free to cook from scratch- you’ll need 1 1/2 cups cooked.
Then just assemble the salad.
Give a toss with the Preserved Lemon Dressing and taste, adding more salt and lemon, to your liking.
If making this salad ahead, make sure to re-taste for salt and lemon before serving.
Pair this with other Middle Eastern Dishes:
OK. Hope you are hanging in.
xoxo
Lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: salad, vegan salad
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad with cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives dill, parsley and Preserved Lemon Dressing. A healthy vegan salad with Middle Eastern flavors that can be made ahead!
Ingredients
Preserved Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup preserved lemons, finely chopped (or see notes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional)
Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- 3/4 cup quinoa (dry, uncooked)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained ( 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped (see notes)
- 1 English cucumber, diced (2 cups)
- 1 bell pepper (yellow is nice) diced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved ( or chopped radish)
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped or halved
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup dill, chopped (or sub mint, or use both!)
- Other optional additions: avocado, feta, radishes
Instructions
Place quinoa, water and pinch of salt in a medium pot, bring to a boil, cover, simmer on low 12-15 minutes until all the water is gone. Uncover, fluff, cool slightly.
Make the dressing, by mixing all in a bowl.
Prep all the veggies. If sensitive to onions, dice, then soak in cold salted water while you chop the rest.
Place the chickpeas, onions, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, dill and parsley to a large bowl. Add the quinoa and dressing and give a good toss.
Taste, adjust salt and lemon to your liking. If making ahead, taste once more right before serving as the quinoa and chickpeas have a tendency to soak up the salt and lemon, so you might want to add a little more.
Notes
If no access to preserved lemons, substitute zest from one whole lemon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add more lemon juice to taste.
Salad will keep 3-4 days in the fridge.
Keywords: chickpea salad, middle eastern salad, chickpea quinoa salad, vegan chickpea salad, preserved lemon dressing, vegan salad recipe, preserved lemon recipes
Fantastic salad!!! I put a little extra fresh dill in as I love dill. It is a meal in itself!!!
★★★★★
Great to hear Sharon!
This is a must try. Just started experimenting with preserved Lemons too. I love these clean and flavorful recipes.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Terry!
Love this. Best dressing!!
★★★★★
Quinoa is one of my favorites and I love your recipes. Can’t wait to try this one!
Did a cauliflower rice version that was FABU!!!!
Modified slightly as my stomach cant handle raw garlic or onions:
Diced and carmelized half red onion (added a bit of sugar). Once golden and lovely, added salt and garlic. Cooked Well. Added a bag of frozen cauliflower rice and cooked (adding chicken broth as needed). Let cool slightly.
Dressing: Did not have preserved lemons. Halved recipe used lemon juice and zest (a bit more lemon juice than advised). Thinned slightly with a bit of water. Was plenty of dressing.
Salad – as written. TONS of herbs:Dill, Mint and Parsley and a touch of sea salt to finish.
Cant wait to make again !! Thinking pine nuts or pistachios might be a nice garnish. Really love this recipe !!
★★★★★
Thanks Donna! Loved that you used cauliflower rice- great idea!
Fabulous. Bursting with flavor, quick and easy to make, healthy, and will last a few days in the fridge…this one is going into regular rotation this summer!
★★★★★
I keep coming back to your website for inspiration. Post lockdown making this and Thai noodle salad for our outdoor lunch. Thanks for sharing healthy flavourful recipes.
Amazing, fresh and delicious
★★★★★
it’s SO delicious omg, thanks a lot for such an easy and quick cooking idea, we all loved the fresh taste of the salad
★★★★★
I have made several recipes for this site I cook alot and have to say, I know a good cook when I try her recipes and they are fantastic. I am so impressed by all the recipes I have done on this site. The chef is truly amazing
thanks so much Wendy.
This recipe has become a staple in our repertoire! It is delicious and can be consumed over several days. The preserved lemon dressing is diving! Thank you for helping to convert the COVID-era vegan curious!
★★★★★
Simple and wonderful!
★★★★★
I love this combination of preserved lemons, feta cheese, olives, quinoa, chickpeas, and crispy vegetables. Perfect, delicious, thank you! This will be a standard for us.
★★★★★
I made this for a group of burly, meat eating geologist working 14 hr. days in the field as a way to get some veggies and protien into their diet. It was the only salad that they cleared the enitre bowl of everytime. It’s delicious and never got old over a 3 month span. Thanks for sharing and I am so glad I found this post.
★★★★★
This looks so good – a while ago I bought a jar of preserved lemons on sale but have never quite known what to do with them – looking forward to trying them out in this recipe. Of all the food blogs I’ve ever signed up to, yours is the one that most matches my taste – love your recipes!
Made the yellow curry powder. The aroma is sensational
★★★★
This is a great recipe. I added a little bit of shredded chicken to it. Delicious!
★★★★★
I made this refreshing, healthy, salad today and enjoyed it with my husband on this sunny San Diego afternoon. I’m always looking for recipes with preserved lemon to use up my stock of it. Everything I’ve tried so far from your recipes, Sylvia, has been delicious. Thank you!
Love this salad! Also love that you include recipes to pair it with.
★★★★★
Can’t go wrong with this combination. Especially love having another good recipe for my preserved lemons.
★★★★★
Do you think it necessary to rinse Quinoa?
Some people like to rinse to remove the bitterness. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Up to you. 😉
I love this recipe so much, particularly because it is so seasonally adaptable and the flavors and textures work so effectively together. But it is the Preserved Lemon Dressing that elevates everything perfectly. There’s something magical about its bright, citrusy notes that pairs so brilliantly with chickpeas. I keep pre-cooked chickpeas in their cooking liquid on hand to use for so many of your recipes, but more often than not, I find myself turning to this salad for its ease of preparation and overall deliciousness.
thanks Catherine!
This is wonderfully tasty and healthy!The dressing is timely, as in winter we have lots of lemons on our tree! Thank you for constantly inspiring me to be a better cook and enjey it,too!
★★★★
I’ve made this salad and mix up the veggies differently, depending on what I have on hand. It introduced me to sumac, which has become a staple in my pantry. Leftovers are great in my Buddha bowls.
This is a great recipe on its own, and can be amped up for my non- plant based eaters by adding a protein like tuna or chicken for a lunch the whole family enjoys! Thanks for another wonderful salad recipe!
★★★★★
Can’t wait to make this – looks delicious
Never thought of chickpeas as a main course. This recipe is amazing
★★★★★
One of many wonderful recipes. It shows that cooking meatless dishes can be creative, tasty and healthy.
★★★★★
So delicious and easy to make as well -thankyou
★★★★★
amazing
★★★★★
The flavors, textures and colours in this salad are incredible – thank you!
★★★★★
I am always looking for new recipes. You would think that at 70, I would have enough recipes. Nope. I am trying to get away from the heavy meat and potato meals I grew up with. My taste buds crave adventure, and my body cannot handle dairy. Hubby is now pre-diabetic, and we are changing our lifestyle away from the heavy meat-laden meals of our youth.
I found your Lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad and it really sounded good. I made it for the two of us, and no surprise, it was delicious! One recipe fed us for three meals since that was all we had, a complete meal.
Daughter’s family came down for dinner yesterday. She brought her high-school sons and three college students along and I made this dish. At first, they looked at it like, “What is quinoa?” “I’m not crazy about chickpeas.” One grandson knew about quinoa and explained. Two of the “sons” are international students, one from Afghanistan and one from China. They looked a bit askance at the salad to begin with, afterall, there was no lamb and no rice, but they knew to trust me when it comes to food because I cook with them when it is their turn to make dinner.
Despite the initial concern, when they had some, the five boys and Dad, they all had multiple helpings!!! I had tripled the recipe since there would be nine of us, assuming that they would like it; there was at least an entire recipe’s worth left because we had other things for dinner, too. Did I get any leftovers? No, they took it all home with them. Daughter tried it and enjoyed the first few bites, but then stopped- because she does not like parsley. So, she will make it at home – minus the parsley. (I even forgot the cucumbers!)
This recipe is now a family favorite! Thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Sue, really appreciate you sharing!!!
Loved it! i am also loving the preserved lemons…so yummy.
★★★★★
I just discovered your site a few days ago, and and was enticed to try this recipe first. I omitted sumac and olives, as I didn’t have either on hand. The dressing was so delicious, and made good use of the preserved lemons that had been lurking about the back of the fridge just waiting for inspiration to strike. I served along simple pan fried halibut. Absolutely delicious and loved by the whole family. There are so many more amazing looking recipes to try, I just might have to give up my day job and cook fulltime! Thank you Sylvia!
My husband loves this salad! He even offered to dice the vegetables if I make this again. We just finished up the last of It a couple minutes ago.
haha, love it!
We are on a feasting at home frenzy here! Last night Summer Tomato Risotto which was completely delicious with not a grain of risotto rice left and tonight this beauty! Added a few extra bits that I had left in the fridge such as roasted aubergine and courgette and finished it with toasted almonds and pomegranates. I knew there was a reason why I didn’t chuck that ancient jar of sumac away!
The thing I love about your recipes is that they are so versatile and ever adapting.
Love them! Jane
thanks Jane!
I love this salad. Made more than I could eat in a few days, so added a bit of leftover grilled chicken and feta, then stuffed peppers. Was great even after being cooked. Made a great dinner with a green salad. Thank you!
DEEEEAAAAADDDDDLLLLLYYYYYYYY
OMIGAHMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM ^o^ SOOOOO SO SOOO SO GOOD!!!!!!!!
This was meant to be, I randomly found some ground Sumac in bulk jars and was like… oooo… this is pretty, lol. (Great benefits too!!) Of course, I figured I had enough hummus, so did NOT get chickpeas, (the one time I dont have a back-up can either, right?!) BUT may add them after a store run tomorrow…tonight I tossed in some walnuts! VERY good also! (almonds would be great too, so I might just opt out of the Chicapeas all together).
Although. I never know what to replace yellow (or any bell pepper) with tho, as my tummy has never appreciated them. 🙁
For the rainbow effect, I grated/shredded some carrots and tossed in some broccoli (as I had plenty of both). But I would love anyone’s ‘bell pepper replacement’ ideas for next time–this has been a reoccurring thing all my life, and I dunno if Ive every actually asked… so….
anybody? anybody?
★★★★★
What about yellow tomatoes?
This salad is so delicious and refreshing. I added a bed of greens and sprouted mung beans. Truly felt nourished. Thank you for all your beautiful recipes. 90% of my cooking is inspired by your recipes.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Maria- you are so kind!
Our second Feasting at Home salad this week! Besides tasting really wonderful, it looked so healthy and inviting, too. Looking forward to making it again. I didn’t have preserved lemons on hand, so used the zest, salt and extra lemon juice, which worked well for us. Thank you for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Awesome- glad you liked it! 🙌
Hi Sylvia,
I made preserved lemons so that I can made this salad for the upcoming weekend! The preserved lemons were a bit salty (obviously). But for use in this recipe, do I need to rinse before chopping & including in the dish?
Hopefully you can respond soon!
Do not rinse, add all the juices too.
This salad is so fresh and the different textures really make it delicious. My whole family (including 3 teenage boys) loves it.
★★★★★
This was so delicious! I made it with lemon zest/salt and substituted cilantro for parsley. It’s going to be a staple for me in the hot summer months for sure!
★★★★★
Thanks so much and so happy you liked it! 👏
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. It was easy to modify to address FODMAP and low sodium diet restrictions while still maintaining the wonderful flavor (red onion and garlic used to infuse flavor but did not chop into salad; less salt and no olives. ) making it again soon. Keeps well in the fridge; great light lunch while working from home.
★★★★★
Glad it worked for you Yolanda!
Absolutely delicious… and beautiful colors! My husband was pleasantly surprised that he was full and satiated with a vegetarian meal… he loved it!
★★★★★
Mine too. Glad he liked it!!!
Wow what a fantastic recipe. So easy to make and tastes really fresh and lively. Summer on a plate!
★★★★★
Thanks Wendy! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is beautiful! I love that gorgeous white salad bowl, too. Where did you find it?
Just at a local store here in Santa Barbara.
And I was just lamenting what to do with all of the overflowing dill from my garden. Your recipe is the perfect solution! Tasty and timely! Made it with the zest option and it’s a treat.
How long will this keep in the fridge?
3-4 days~!
Just made it! So flavorful.
★★★★★