Meal prepping has been my secret weapon with staying on track with food. It helps with maintaining all that I do as a wife, mother, and business owner. Today’s recipe is a Mediterranean Quinoa Chickpea Salad, it’s one of my favorite salads to use for meal prep since it’s easy to pack in a mason jar and take on the go.
Mediterranean Quinoa Chickpea Salad
I know for many of you lunch time meals are a bit of a challenge, especially if you work outside of the home. I’m sharing with you a recipe I use a lot as a quick lunch, this Mediterranean Quinoa Chickpea Salad is loaded with Mediterranean flavors, textures, and is incredibly simple to make.
A great recipe to use for meal prep when craving something filling and refreshing. I promise even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy this salad. It’s great as an entree or on the side too. I like to eat this with my favorite Easy Oil Free Falafel Recipe.
The biggest focus of this salad are the ingredients! Kalamata olives, fresh cherry tomatoes, red onions, and artichoke all contribute to make this salad delicious. You get the saltiness from the olives along with a chewy texture, a hint of richness from the olive oil and tomatoes, a zesty bite from the artichoke, and you can even add some dried figs to give it a little sweetness to balance.
I also love adding protein rich chickpeas to this dish to play with the textures and add a bit of protein. The quinoa and most of the ingredients used in this salad all have a similar chewy texture so I like to add some sliced almonds for a bit of crunch.
Mediterranean Quinoa Chickpea Salad
An incredibly satisfying, healthy, nutrient-rich salad, with chickpeas, quinoa, and spring mix. Just 7 ingredients required for this delicious plant-based meal.
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- CHICKPEAS
- 1/2 cup (200 g) dry chickpeas
- Water
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- QUINOA
- 1/2 cup (184 g) white quinoa, well rinsed
- 1 cups (420 ml) water
- Healthy pinch sea salt
- SALAD
- 2 cups fresh spring mix
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup artichoke
- 1/4 cup olives
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch of sea salt
- *avocado (optional)
Instructions
- Soak chickpeas overnight (for 6-8 hours).
- To cook soaked chickpeas, add to a large pot and cover with 2 inches water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer, add salt and stir, and cook uncovered for 40 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes (depending on the size/freshness of your beans).
- Sample a bean at the 40-minute mark to see how tender they are. You’re looking for a just tender bean with a tiny bit of bite, and the skins will start to show signs of peeling (don’t go too mushy!). Once cooked, drain beans and set aside and sprinkle with a bit more salt.
- In the last 30 minutes of the beans cooking, start your quinoa by heating a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add water and quinoa, increase heat to medium-high/high to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low (simmer), cover, and cook for 18-22 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and the water has completely absorbed. Then remove from heat and loosely drape the pot with a towel or paper towel to continue absorbing any excess moisture. Allow time to cool.
- Lastly, gather ingredients and build your salad.
- To build your salad in a jar, first add the artichoke, olives, tomatoes, chickpeas, quinoa, and fresh green.
- Best when fresh, though salads in a jar can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Calories: 622
- Fat: 12.3g
- Carbohydrates: 103.1g
- Fiber: 21.4g
- Protein: 30.9g
Let’s Chat!
I hope you enjoy this Mediterranean Quinoa Chickpea Salad, make it and be sure to tag me on Instagram @LiveSimplyNatural. I love seeing what you guys are cooking up in your kitchen. I also want to know if you guys meal prep and if so what are your favorite tips to making it easier. Share in the comments below :)
Hugs,
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