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Quinoa Salad with Burst Tomatoes & Crispy Chickpeas

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  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Main Course, Salad
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired

Description

All the color and crunch you love—now lighter on sodium and saturated fat, with extra fiber from hearty chickpeas. Extra-virgin olive oil is the only added fat, while lemon, garlic, and herbs build bright flavor without added salt.


Ingredients

Scale

Burst Tomatoes

Crispy Chickpeas

  • 2 cups 330 g cooked chickpeas, rinsed and well dried (no added salt)
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (counts toward the oil total)
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Salad Base

  • 4 cups cooked quinoa (from about 1¼ cups dry, cooled and fluffed)
  • 3 cups 60 g baby arugula
  • 1½ cups 200 g thinly sliced Persian cucumber
  • ⅓ cup 50 g finely diced red onion
  • 1½ cups loosely packed basil and mint leaves (torn)

Salty Bits (lightened)

  • 55 g feta (crumbled (about ½ cup lightly packed), briefly rinsed and patted dry)
  • 50 g kalamata olives (pitted and sliced (about ⅓ cup), briefly rinsed and patted dry)
  • 12 g pine nuts (about 1½ tablespoons, lightly toasted)

No-Salt Herb Lemon Vinaigrette

  • Total extra-virgin olive oil used in the recipe: 4 tablespoons (54 g, including the teaspoons above)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves (finely grated)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground sumac (or fine zest of ½ lemon)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)


Instructions

  1. Fluff & Chill : Cook quinoa if needed. Spread on a tray to steam-dry, then chill until barely warm. Fluff with a fork.
  2. Burst the Tomatoes : Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss tomatoes with about ½ teaspoon of the oil. Roast 10–12 minutes until skins blister. Cool.
  3. Quick Desalting : Place feta crumbles and sliced olives in a strainer; rinse under cool water for 10–15 seconds to remove surface brine. Pat very dry.
  4. Crisp the Chickpeas : Air fryer or skillet at 400°F (205°C). Toss chickpeas with about ½ teaspoon oil, oregano, cumin, paprika, and pepper. Cook 8–10 minutes, shaking once, until crisp. Cool.
  5. Toast the Nuts : Dry-toast pine nuts over medium heat 2–3 minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate to cool.
  6. Shake the Vinaigrette : Add the remaining olive oil to a jar with lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, sumac, and pepper. Shake until emulsified.
  7. Build & Finish : In a large bowl, combine quinoa, arugula, cucumber, red onion, herbs, and roasted tomatoes. Add about three-quarters of the vinaigrette and fold gently. Scatter feta, olives, pine nuts, and chickpeas on top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.

Notes

  • Keep chickpeas and pine nuts separate until just before serving for maximum crunch.
  • For dairy-free, omit feta and add ¼ cup finely diced no-salt roasted red pepper for color.
  • For nut-free, swap pine nuts with unsalted roasted sunflower seeds.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving: calculated from ingredient weights

  • Calories: 301 kcal
  • Total Fat: 13.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.51 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 36.1 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 7.01 g
  • Total Sugars: 4.92 g
  • Added Sugars: 0 g
  • Protein: 10.0 g
  • Sodium: 175 mg
  • Cholesterol: 6 mg

Nutrition

  • Calories: 301