False Alarm Quinoa Salad
A refreshing quinoa salad with roasted chickpeas, cucumber, and a tangy lemon-tahini dressing, perfect for a light lunch. This Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe (vegan), ready in about 35 minutes, pairs quinoa, cucumber, chickpeas into a side that holds its own next to almost any main — bright, balanced, and quick enough to slot into a weeknight plate. Each serving lands at about 300 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly next to roasted proteins, grain bowls, or weeknight mains. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup, uncooked quinoa
- 1 medium, diced cucumber
- 1 can, drained and rinsed chickpeas
- 1 small, thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp, chopped fresh dill
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package instructions. Let cool slightly.
- Step 2: In a bowl, combine 1 diced cucumber, 1 can chickpeas, and 1/2 cup chopped red onion. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Step 3: In a separate small bowl, whisk 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp tahini, and 1/2 tsp salt until smooth. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and stir.
- Step 4: Fold the dressing into the quinoa mixture and stir in 1 tbsp fresh dill. Chill for 10 minutes before serving.
