Greek-Style Chickpea and Quinoa Salad

ByCarissa Posted onJune 19, 2014May 18, 2022 Updated onMay 18, 2022

This Greek-Style Chickpea and Quinoa Salad is the perfect summer potluck dish. You can make it ahead of time, and the flavor gets better with time.

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Alright, here’s another use-up-the-veggies-before-the-next-CSA-delivery recipe. Truth is, I created the recipe for this Greek-Style Chickpea and Quinoa Salad 3 or 4 years ago now, and it’s been a regular summer staple.

Of course, you can make it any time of the year, but I especially appreciate no-cook recipes when the house is 30°C in the summer.

Since I’ve started making it, I’ve brought this chickpea salad to countless potlucks, and it’s always a hit. When my mom texted a couple of weeks ago to ask what she should bring to a party, this is the recipe I gave her.

It’s great because people on many special diets can enjoy it: it’s vegetarian, gluten-free, doesn’t have any major allergens, and tasty enough that meat-lovers will love it too!

The ingredients to make chickpea and quinoa salad on a baking sheet: chickpeas, red onion, red pepper, cucumber, kalamata olives, tomatoes, oregano, Feta — Lots of veggies go into this hearty Chickpea and Quinoa Salad: chickpeas, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, kalamata olives, tomatoes, oregano, and Feta.

Now after making my chickpea salad this go-around, my produce drawers are almost empty. Most of these veggies didn’t come from my CSA. I failed to check the CSA’s schedule and stocked up on piles of produce only a day before my CSA started.

But all I have left now is some oregano that I’ll dry, and a seemingly never-ending pile of green onions which I plan to chop up and use to fill my freezer with my beloved Green Onion Cakes.

How to make Greek-Style Chickpea and Quinoa Salad

Now about the delicious chickpea salad: since this recipe doesn’t need to be cooked, chopping is the extent of the work you will be doing. You will need to chop up a cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, kalamata olives, and herbs. The goal is to get the veggies roughly the same size as the chickpeas.

Ideally, the quinoa in the recipe will be leftover from last night’s dinner. If you don’t have any hanging around in your fridge, make sure you start cooking it ahead of time to give it a chance to cool. Drain and rinse some canned chickpeas, and crumble up some Feta.

Chickpea and quinoa salad in a glass bowl before mixing — This delicious salad is perfect for lunch or dinner, and is always popular at picnics and potlucks.

The salad is dressed in a simple combination of olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar, seasoned with a bit of salt, pepper, chili flakes, and additional dried herbs if you prefer.

Since this salad has veggies, beans (in the form of chickpeas), quinoa and cheese, it is a complete meal in a bowl and doesn’t need anything else.

But the nice thing about this salad is that it’s versatile in how it can be served. I most commonly eat it how it is straight out of a bowl. If I have leafy greens hanging around, I’ll serve it on top of them (my favorite is baby spinach). Or if I have leftover pitas or tortillas, I will make wraps with them.

Chickpea and quinoa salad in a white bowl. — Greek-Style Chickpea and Quinoa Salad is gluten-free and vegetarian, and can easily be made dairy-free and/or vegan.

Want more chickpea recipes?