With light, fresh flavors plus a serious protein boost, this lemony quinoa chickpea salad is such a winner! It might just be the easiest you’ve ever made, too. And with loads of lemon, tons of chickpeas, and dill, possibly the tastiest!

A white plate with quinoa chickpea salad, with dill and fresh lemons in the background.

Table of Contents

The Story Behind the Recipe

Well, this quinoa and chickpea salad was kind of a weird little revelation for me. It’s just SO EASY to whip up and have in the fridge, at the ready for snack attacks or quick lunches. It saves me so much time to just have it there. No more pantry scrounging or refrigerator gazing.

For me, this quinoa chickpea salad has basically become the ultimate meal-prep lunch situation. It’s SO simple I wasn’t sure about sharing it here first, but I’m glad I got over that, because readers really like it!

A white plate with quinoa chickpea salad on it

Why You’ll Love this Quinoa Chickpea Salad

  • It’s so easy to make. And by easy, I really do mean easy and so simple. Only 8 ingredients, and that’s including the olive oil and salt! This salad really is super easy to throw together, especially if I’m cooking up a batch of quinoa for another meal. I cook extra to throw together this salad, add a can of drained chickpeas, some scallions, a whole lotta fresh dill (YUM), and the super simple dressing. DONE!
  • Perfect for any meal. It’s delicious atop a bed of arugula for an easy lunch or ideal as a hearty side with dinner. I’ll be honest, I’ve even had it for breakfast – with all that protein, it’s kinda perfect for that meal too! Excellent quick snack as well.
  • Meal-prep magic. Not only is this quinoa salad super easy to make ahead of time, it actually tastes best after a day of lounging around in the fridge, giving the dill time to really mingle with the other ingredients.

Readers say …

“I’ve made this several times already and the leftovers are even better! I love to toss it with arugula for a fast and easy lunch!”
– Kristen
Ingredients for lemony quinoa chickpea salad in a white Pyrex bowl with green flowers.

Quinoa Chickpea Salad Ingredients

  • Quinoa – Don’t forget to rinse your quinoa before cooking it! That helps remove any compounds that can contribute an unpleasant bitter flavor.
  • Chickpeas – I use one can, which is about 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas.
  • Scallions – Love the flavor and color these little green onions provide. Feel free to use finely diced sweet onion, red onion, or shallot instead.
  • Dill – The fresh dill MAKES this salad! But if you don’t have access to it, parsley is a delicious sub.
  • Olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, & salt – These ingredients form the simple yet irresistible dressing that gives quinoa chickpea salad it’s zinginess!

Easy Additions & Substitutions

  • Add white beans – Add or swap navy beans or cannellini beans, which are super delicious in this quinoa salad.
  • Add veggies – Feel free to add your fave veggies to the mix. Chopped cucumber, diced tomato, crunchy bell pepper … it’s a flexible recipe you can make your own!
  • Swap the dill – If you can’t find dill or it’s not your fave, swap in a generous handful of chopped parsley.

How to Make It

First, cook the quinoa. Let it cool a little, move it to a large bowl, then add the chickpeas, scallions and dill and stir.

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour them over the top of the chickpea quinoa salad. Stir to combine, taste, and add more salt if desired.

That’s it! So fast and easy.

Simple Lemon Dill Quinoa Chickpea Salad - This salad comes together quickly and easily, with only a bit of chopping, a little stirring, and a handful of ingredients. Having this simple salad in my fridge at a moment's notice has been a godsend for me lately!

What to Serve with Quinoa Salad

Chickpea quinoa salad is excellent alongside sandwiches, wraps, veggie burgers, and other easy mains. It’s also an excellent addition to buddha bowls along with some hummus!

How to Store Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Transfer your quinoa salad to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It will last around 4 days in the fridge.

Can I Freeze Quinoa Salad?

I don’t recommend freezing this quinoa chickpea salad due to the nature of the fresh ingredients. I think it will affect the texture of the quinoa and make the whole salad soggy upon thawing. But I haven’t tested it yet and it’s on my to-do list. I’ll update once I’ve tried it!

More Easy Quinoa Salad Recipes

If you try and love this recipe for quinoa chickpea salad, please leave a review! Even if you don’t absolutely love it, I welcome any and all feedback and I share all legit reviews. I test my recipes multiple times in my home kitchen, but I really appreciate knowing how they’re working for others; your reviews help me make tweaks until my recipes are just right! And they’re so valuable for other readers, too. Thank you! ❤️

5 from 8 votes

Lemony Quinoa & Chickpea Salad

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Author: Kare
This salad comes together quickly and easily, with only a bit of chopping, a little stirring, and a handful of ingredients. Having this simple salad in my fridge at a moment’s notice has been a godsend for me lately!
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed with cold water (about 1 1/2 cups cooked))
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) (about 1 1/2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
  • About 6 scallions (sliced (about 1/2 cup))
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (1 generous handful)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the quinoa. Rinse quinoa under cold water and drain. Place in a small pot on the stove and add 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook about 15 minutes, just until tender and translucent, with the white tail removed from the seed. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Stir and spread a bit to let cool some (but it does not need to cool completely).
  • Add the chickpeas, scallions, and dill. Stir gently to combine.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until combined. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir to combine.
  • Taste and add more salt if desired. Flavors will develop more after the salad chills.
  • Cover and refrigerate until it’s time to eat. Best flavor is achieved after about 24 hours but it’s still delicious right after mixing! Keeps about 4 days in the fridge.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 411mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 2g

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