Parsley Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Parsley Quinoa Chickpea Salad is a tasty and refreshing take on traditional tabbouleh salad. Made with parsley, cucumbers, tomatoes, quinoa, and chickpeas, and topped with lemon juice and olive oil.

If you are looking for a healthy and delicious salad or side dish that’s make-ahead friendly, then this is it. Parsley Quinoa Chickpea Salad lasts for days in the refrigerator and packs a flavor punch while being full of heart healthy and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

This is a very forgiving salad that can easily be adapted to use whatever ingredients you have on hand. You could add bell peppers or radishes to this salad, or use bulgur or barley in place of the quinoa.

If you are starting an anti-inflammatory diet and looking for easy recipes to incorporate into your plan, this Parsley Quinoa Chickpea Salad is perfect. It’s chocked full of all of the ingredients you need to start or maintain your healthy anti-inflammatory diet lifestyle.

Parsley Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Like the name indicates, this salad is full of healthy and delicious ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Moreover, this salad comes together quickly and requires little hands-on effort.

Firstly, you will need to cook the quinoa. You will need to cook about ½ a cup of quinoa, which will yield you about 1 ½ cups of the cooked grain. If you already have cooked quinoa on hand, feel free to use that and skip this step in the instructions.

If you are unfamiliar with quinoa, it is a flowering plant from the amaranth family. The seeds are rich in dietary fiber, protein, B vitamins, and minerals. It’s very quick cooking (only 10-15 minutes) and adds a satisfying bite to recipes. One of my favorite brands is the Organic Quinoa, but you can find quinoa at nearly every grocery store.

The remainder of the recipe is simple. Just chop and add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. You will need a very large bowl to mix this all together so I suggest getting out the biggest one you have!

I like to do a rough chop on the parsley. You don’t need to mince it like you would for other recipes. Additionally, if you are lacking an ingredient, feel free to omit it or use something else.

Basic Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing

The ingredients are the highlight of this salad, so I prefer to keep the dressing as simple as possible. Moreover, you don’t need to get out an extra bowl to make the dressing either.

Once all of the salad ingredients are combined in the bowl, simply squeeze on the lemon juice, pour on the olive oil, and add in the salt and minced garlic. That’s it! Toss the entire salad together and taste for seasonings.

Note that the salad should probably sit for a couple of hours before serving, if you can wait that long! At that point, you should toss again and adjust for seasonings as needed.

Healthy Make-Ahead Salads

There are many different healthy make-ahead salads that won’t wilt or get soggy in the refrigerator. Some of the best are:

• Kale Quinoa Salad has golden raisins, kale, garlic, and quinoa.
• Farro Tabbouleh Salad is made with a heart healthy ancient grain and uses parsley and tomatoes.
• Kale Cranberry Feta Salad is a holiday staple and is full of delicious flavors and textures.
• Strawberry Blueberry Spinach Salad has a delicious poppyseed dressing and so many fun summertime flavors.
• Brussels Sprouts Salad with Feta is another holiday favorite using raw sliced Brussels sprouts and golden raisins.
• Broccoli Cranberry Salad has a zesty greek yogurt dressing!
• Watermelon Feta Salad is a simple and delicious 10 minute summer salad!

I hope you love this recipe for Parsley Quinoa Chickpea Salad. One bite and you’ll be sure to add it your salad recipe rotation!