Mediterranean Quinoa Salad With Chickpeas

Hi guys! Hope you had a lovely weekend 🙂 Today’s post happens to be the 200th post on my blog, a tiny space in the web world. But it is a little milestone for me, nonetheless. Usually, I tend to lean towards sharing a dessert for such little occasions, but I thought I’d change that up. So this time around, I have this super healthy, protein-rich Mediterranean Quinoa  Salad to share with you. And with this post, I’m also pleased that quinoa has made an appearance on my blog.

I didn’t take a liking to quinoa the first time I tasted it, probably because I did not cook it right. So, I simply forgot about this seed and moved on. I picked up this bag of frozen quinoa and chickpea salad on a whim and partly also to try quinoa again. We all know how nutritious this superfood is!! Giving it a go the second time around wouldn’t hurt, right? And I’m glad I did, I loved that salad, it was wholesome and delicious. Made me a quinoa-loving convert in an instant 🙂

Since I enjoyed that salad so much, I thought I’d recreate it at home and infuse some Mediterranean elements. I usually have most things in my pantry except for the Feta cheese. I even had a packet of quinoa sitting there, untouched, begging to be used! These cherry tomatoes are from our very own tiny little garden. Using fresh home produce just adds a little extra to any dish. Don’t you think too? I love the crunch from the veggies, saltiness from the feta and kalamata olives, the sweetness from the cherry tomatoes, a bite from the creamy chickpeas and a simple homemade dressing that ties all of this together! We just make a meal out of it or sometimes have it as a side with some grilled chicken. You can add more or less of the veggies, as you fancy. But there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be trying this. This Mediterranean quinoa salad with chickpeas is definitely making more rounds on our table 🙂 If you are looking for some quinoa recipes, don’t forget to give this easy Mediterranean quinoa salad a go!

How to cook quinoa?

1 cup of dry quinoa yields 3 cups of cooked quinoa. You will need a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to liquid, i.e. liquid has to be double the amount of quinoa, it is just like cooking rice.  You can use 2 cups of cooked quinoa for this recipe and refrigerate the remaining quinoa in an air-tight container up to 3 days. Use it in breakfast porridges, stir-fries, smoothies or croquettes, etc.

Or use the following measures to make 2 cups of cooked quinoa-

Measure 2/3 cup dry quinoa, place it in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse under running water to remove the bitter flavor. (Most quinoa available commercially is often pre-rinsed, still, it is a good idea to rinse it). Place the drained quinoa along with 320 ml (1 & 1/3 cups) water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt. You can also add dried herbs like oregano, basil, parsley, or smashed garlic, etc at this stage for additional flavor. Give it a quick mix, turn the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Once the quinoa is cooked, fluff it with a fork, remove it from the pot, let it cool for few minutes and use it as directed in this Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe.

Enjoyed this Mediterranean quinoa salad? Then you may also like these easy salad recipes

Greek salad Blood orange salad with blood orange vinaigrette Strawberry Spinach Salad Caprese Salad Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad

How to make Mediterranean quinoa salad with chickpeas – Step by step instructions

Step 1: Add all the salad ingredients in a large bowl

In a sufficiently large bowl, add 2 cups of cooked quinoa, 1-(15 oz) can of rinsed and drained chickpeas, 1 & 1/2 cups each of cherry tomatoes and diced English cucumber along with 10-12 olives (pitted, drained, and sliced), 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley and 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese. Tip: To reduce the pungency of onions, place them in a bowl of ice-cold water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and use in the recipe. 

Step 2: Prepare the dressing and pour it over the salad

Whisk 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil,  3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons orange juice (optional), 1 teaspoon each of honey, lemon zest, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper, until well blended.  Or add all the dressing ingredients in a Mason jar, close the jar, and shake vigorously until emulsified. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Serve right away or refrigerate and serve later.

★ If you try this Mediterranean quinoa and chickpea salad recipe, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Feel free to share your feedback and suggestions at [email protected]. Thanks so much 🙂  You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter