This quinoa salad with chickpeas is the most perfect easy lunch. Quick, delicious, and satisfying, it only takes a few minutes to put together.
To make this salad super-easy for lunch time, I use pre-cooked quinoa. Make a big batch ahead of time, and store it in the fridge to quickly add to recipes like this one. Another shortcut I use here is choosing pre-chopped frozen kale, rather than fresh.
Using garlic powder in the dressing is also a bit of a shortcut, saving you from peeling and mincing in the middle of your work or school day.
In addition to being healthy, this easy quinoa salad with chickpeas is also good for you, packed with over 21 grams of plant protein.
Why Does This Recipe Only Make One Serving of Quinoa Salad?
I made this a single-serve recipe because when I make lunch, I usually just mix something for myself. I don't want to stop and cook a full meal in the middle of the day, so simple one-and-done recipes like this are my go-to.
If you want to make it bigger, as a side dish for dinner or to share with the family, simply multiple all the ingredients for a larger portion. If you're serving it as a side dish, I would say that multiplying it by 4 is a good rule-of-thumb. This recipe is written as a main, so it should serve up to 6 as a generous side.
How to Cook The Quinoa Ahead of Time
To keep this recipe quick and easy, I use already-cooked quinoa. The way I do this is pretty straightforward, but it does take a bit of time. If you're in a crunch around midday, I suggest cooking a batch of quinoa the night before, or on Sunday to use throughout the week.
The way I make great-tasting quinoa is pretty straightforward:
- Add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups broth to rice cooker
- Cook until rice cooker switches to "done"
- Fluff quinoa with fork and let sit for 5 mins
- store in the refrigerator to use as needed
If you don't have a rice cooker, Cookie + Kate has a helpful tutorial to guide you.
Without further ado, let's get into it!
Print📖 Recipe
Easy Quinoa Salad With Chickpeas, Greens, and Tahini Dressing
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
This easy quinoa salad with chickpeas makes the perfect simple single-serving lunch. To make a large batch as a side dish for dinner, simply quadruple the ingredients for a group dish.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 cup green peas (frozen)
- ½ cup quinoa (cooked, *see notes)
- ½ can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- ¼ cup kale (frozen)
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
- ½ tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½-1 tablespoon water
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tbsp parsley leaves (fresh)
Instructions
For the Salad
- Heat a small frying pan over medium-high. Add cooked quinoa, frozen peas, chickpeas, and kale. Add ¼ cup of water, and cook until frozen foods have thawed and everything is warmed through, 5 mins.
- Once everything is warm, transfer salad to a bowl. Top with dressing and a few fresh parsley leaves.
For the Dressing
- Combine tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water (start with ½ tbsp), garlic pepper, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Mix until smooth, adding water until you reach your desired consistency.
Notes
*Notes: For cooked quinoa, combine 1 cup dry quinoa and 2 cups veggie broth in a rice cooker. Cook until done. I save the quinoa in the fridge and use it throughout the week for quick meals like this.
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Australian
Nutrition
- Calories: 538
- Fat: 19
- Carbohydrates: 74
- Protein: 21.4
Looking for easy lunch recipes? Check out this 5 Ingredient Easy Tomato Spaghetti (you can even make it in a dorm).
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