This quinoa greek salad is the perfect blend of savory ingredients tossed with protein-packed quinoa and chickpeas. It's flavorful, easy and just delicious!
Whenever I go to a party in the summer, I'm the one who brings a salad. Call me boring, but it's just what I do. I seriously love salads and I find that at most warm-weather gatherings, the options aren't always the healthiest.
There tend to be big bowls of chips and dip, usually some sort of mayo-covered concoction (which is labeled as a “salad”), accompanied by burgers and dogs. The menu for me? Typically limited.
Which is why salads like this are so epic. This green quinoa greek salad is healthy, but it's also full of protein and healthy fats which makes it perfect for the plant-based eaters. And guess what? It's always one of the first to disappear!
What is This Quinoa Salad Made Of?
I am a sucker for salty, briny things, so when I traveled to Greece a few years ago, I literally ate all the olives every single day. For today's Quinoa Greek Salad, we're keeping it pretty straightforward, but also making it plant-based. That means we're skipping the feta and using chickpeas instead.
Here's what you'll find inside our quinoa salad:
- Cucumbers. They're crunchy, fresh and always delicious. Just yum.
- Tomatoes. They're juicy, sweet and always make a dish better. Obsessed.
- Onions. I usually hate raw onions. Not only do they make your breath rank, I just really don't think they taste that good. Unless they're in a Greek salad, then, bad breath aside, they totally rock.
- Olives. Salty, salty and even saltier. My taste buds are singing.
- Chickpeas. Takes place of the feta, adds more protein and helps the salad be
- Parsley. Fresh herbs elevate dishes to a place their dried counterparts just can't reach. Yes.
And of course…QUINOA!
How Long Does Quinoa Salad Last in the Fridge?
Since we're talking about whipping up this gorgeous little salad for a party, you're probably curious to know if it can be made ahead, right? Fabulous! And the answer to that question is…YES!
Quinoa salads will last at least 4 – 5 days in the fridge. As long as you don't have any delicate greens in there (like spinach, arugula, mixed greens, romaine, etc.), it will stay nice and fresh. This Greek quinoa salad for example? It actually gets better the longer it sits because the flavors have more time to meld together.
So by all means, meal prep the heck out of this salad! Whip it up a day or two in advance and save yourself some time in the process.
Tricks for How to Make Quinoa Salad Taste Good
Okay, so I know some people are quinoa averse. I get it! It's got a weird name and when people are new to it, quinoa can be a little unappetizing. I actually made this for Easter and served it to my family and one of my cousins said it was the first time he had ever tasted quinoa. Like WOAH!
But anyway…back to making quinoa salad tasting good.
I've found a few tricks along the way to make your quinoa salad taste incredible:
- Toast and/or rinse your quinoa: this can remove the bitterness and make the quinoa flavor be a bit more mellow
- Acid: adding something acidic – like lemon, vinegar, etc. – helps to add some brightness and zing to the recipe
- Amp up your veggies: if you're not a big fan of the flavor of quinoa itself, add as many extra veggies you want!
- Let it sit: the longer the quinoa salad sits, typically the more flavor it will develop (especially when you're using something briny like olives!)
The Best Quinoa Greek Salad
Honestly, this has been one of my go-to quinoa salad recipes for years. Yes, years!
I first made this back in 2013, when my photos were not so great, and I've been coming back to it over and over again. It's just one of those staples that is a total crowd pleaser, is a cinch to make AND can be made ahead of time.
So basically, it's the ultimate salad for spring and summer. It'll be a hit at your next party and the leftovers will make a fabulous lunch or dinner for you the next day!
More Summery Quinoa Salad Recipes to try:
- Asian Kale Quinoa Salad
- Moroccan Quinoa Salad
- Chickpea & Quinoa Mason Jar Salad
- Maple Lime Triple Berry Quinoa Salad
- Almond Butter Thai Quinoa Salad
- Tropical Kale & Quinoa Power Salad
Quinoa Greek Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa cooled completely
- 1 15 oz can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium cucumber quartered and chopped
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted & diced
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toss the quinoa, chickpeas and veggies together in a large bowl. Add the parsley toss to combine.
- Whisk together the lemon, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour over the salad and toss together. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably for an hour, then serve.
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Nutrition
Terrific and easy recipe … but I just had to add a block of vegan feta, and some fresh chopped oregano. These are flavours always associate and have come to expect from a Greek salad.
But many thanks! 5-stars!
Great additions!! Those sound delish!
It sounds wonderful! I am going to try it. Can you explain a little more about toasting and/or rinsing the quinoa?
Rinsing helps to remove the outer layer which for some can cause digestive issues. And toasting helps to give it a nice nutty flavor!
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Does feta cheese contain milk? I cannot have milk so have been using crumbled goat cheese instead of feta or blue cheese.
You can get sheep feta. That’s what I use since I can’t have cow milk either.
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This salad is just up my street, Greek salad is yummy, heavenly, not good emglish but who cares this is Greek salad we are speaking about!!!!!!
We just love your recipes! This looks so healthy and delicious. Will definitely make this one!
Thank you! I checked out your site as well and the recipes also look great 🙂 Those spinach zucchini muffins sound lovely!
this sounds so good
Thanks Billie!
Alyssa, this looks so good! I love Greek Salad, it’s my go-to restaurant dish when I’m unsure of anything else to order 🙂 I love salad for dinner, too, but I also always get hungry a few hours later- the quinoa and chickpeas would be great for that.
And yay for your book! I’m keeping an eye out!
Thanks Ruthy! I couldn’t agree more on the Greek Salad out at restaurants 🙂