Quinoa Salad Recipe with Corn and Chickpeas
This Quinoa Salad Recipe with Corn and Chickpeas is SO fresh, healthy, delicious and packed with flavor and nutrition. Not to toot my own horn, but… I’m obsessed. Serve it cold and finish it off with dried cranberries and poppyseed dressing for all the spring and summer vibes. YUM.
do you eat quinoa salad hot or cold?
You could technically do either one, but this quinoa salad is meant to be served cold. It’s a light, spring dish full of fresh veggies that is super refreshing when cold! If you are planning to heat it up, you might hold off on adding the dressing and cranberries.
how to cook quinoa perfectly
I think a lot of people are intimidated by quinoa, simply because they aren’t familiar with it. But trust me when I say it couldn’t be easier to make! It’s honestly very similar to cooking rice.
You will have a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa. In other words, for every 1 cup of dry quinoa, you’ll use 2 cups of water. However, in this recipe, you’re cooking 2/3 cup of dry quinoa with 1 and 1/3 cup water.
First, be sure to rinse your quinoa using a fine mesh strainer to remove the bitter coating. Then you can add the quinoa and water to your pan at the same time. Bring them to a boil, and then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or so, or until liquid has been absorbed.
Easy as that! We love quinoa because it stays pretty moist in the fridge for several days. It’s also delicious and very versatile.
Check out my Mexican Veggie Quinoa, Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls or Salmon & Broccoli Quinoa Bowls.
what makes this quinoa salad recipe great
I might be biased, but I think this Quinoa Salad Recipe is pretty great. ; ) Here’s why.
- It’s packed with colorful fruits & veggies: bell peppers, onions, peas and corn, dried cranberries
- Contains plant protein from quinoa and chickpeas
- Healthy fats from sliced almonds and pepitas
- Pairs well with lean protein like chicken or shrimp
- Can be served as a side or main dish
other recipes to make this easter
Here are some other dishes you could whip up for breakfast, snacks, or your main meal this Easter weekend!
- Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- Cream Cheese & Jam Stuffed French Toast
- 3-Ingredient Oreo Balls
- Healthy Carrot Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blueberry Pecan Baked Oatmeal
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken (serve on Hawaiian buns as “sliders”)
Now here is the recipe for this delicious Quinoa Salad!
Quinoa Salad Recipe with Corn and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup quinoa dry, or 2 cups cooked
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
- 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup bell peppers chopped, red and orange
- 1/3 cup onion chopped, red or white
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 3 Tbsp pepitas
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries reduced sugar
- 3 Tbsp poppyseed dressing
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- While quinoa is cooking, drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil into a small skillet over medium heat. Add frozen sweet corn and peas and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until corn is slightly charred. Add salt, to taste.
- Set quinoa and corn/pea mixture aside and let cool.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and chop other veggies.
- Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl and add all other ingredients: corn/pea mixture, chickpeas, bell peppers, onions, sliced almonds, pepitas and dried cranberries. Drizzle 2-3 Tbsp of poppyseed dressing over the mixture and stir well to combine.
- Serve quinoa salad cold as a side dish or add a protein source, like chicken, for an entree. (Serving size is 3/4-1 cup.)
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I think this Quinoa Salad Recipe would be the perfect dish to serve at Easter! It’s bright, colorful, light and delicious. : ) It’s also husband-approved! At least my husband… but he’s not picky, thankfully. ; ) Keep me posted on what the men and kids in your life think!
Enjoy!
Shanna
Just made this tonight. SO good! I was very nervous to try it, as I don’t always go for this type of dish. I am so glad I branched out to try it. Thank you for posting a variety of recipes!
Yay! I’m so glad you decided to give it a shot! It’s definitely a different combo, but fun to try something new and different! Thanks for trying them! 🙂
We made this recipe as a side dish for dinner and it was a win! My husband couldn’t stop raving about how he couldn’t wait to eat this dish all summer. My favorite part is we have so many of the ingredients on hand often, so it’s easy to whip up variations. Thanks for another great dish!
Aw, yay! I love that! I think it’ll be so yummy and refreshing all summer long too, and it’s definitely easy to customize! So glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve taken this to every family function and always get asked for the recipe! SO good!
Aww, I love that! I appreciate you sharing! 🙂