Quinoa Chickpea Salad
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Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Servings: 4
Date: 2026-03-15

Tags: salad, healthy, vegetarian, vegan, meal-prep, mediterranean, gluten-free

Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Quinoa, chickpeas, peppers, cucumbers, and olives with a roasted garlic tahini dressing.
Ingredients
Salad Base

1 cup (370g) cooked quinoa
500g cooked chickpeas
2 red bell peppers (or 1 red and 1 yellow), diced
1 medium-sized tomato, seeded and chopped
2-3 small cucumbers, diced
1/4 cup (30g) dried cranberries
1/4 cup (about 13-15) kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
4 sprigs green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted almonds, slivered or coarsely chopped

Dressing

3 lemons, juiced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 head of garlic (about 8 cloves)
3 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tsp (5 mL) sodium-reduced soy sauce
2 tsp (5 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Roast the garlic: Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Cut the top off the head of garlic and place it on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.

Prepare the salad: While the garlic roasts, combine the quinoa, chickpeas, bell peppers, tomato, cucumbers, cranberries, olives, green onion, and almonds in a large bowl.

Make the dressing: Mash the roasted garlic in a small bowl with a fork. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and onion powder. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Notes

The salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, making it great for meal prep.
While you can use canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed) for convenience, using dry chickpeas and boiling them yourself is recommended for better texture and flavor.

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Source: https://food.alaeddin.net/quinoa-chickpea-salad