Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Blackberries & Candied Pepitas Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

You’ll discover a myriad of exciting flavors and textures in this quinoa chickpea salad with candied pepitas, blackberries, apricots, and feta cheese.

There’s nothing boring about this quinoa salad! It covers all the bases: lots of protein in the quinoa, chickpeas, and feta; plenty of crunch in the red onions and candied pepitas; juicy purple blackberries and chewy sweet dried apricots; bright flavors of fresh mint and parsley; and a standout homemade vinaigrette. Every bite is so satisfying!

This salad is a feast for the eyes and tummy, and nutritionally, it’s a powerhouse. Every ingredient has attributes that contribute to a healthy diet. You can and will literally feel really good about eating this quinoa chickpea salad. Each one cup serving has only 278 calories. Your body will thank you, and so will your tastebuds!

Whether you serve quinoa salad as a meatless main dish, a hearty side salad, or a fantastic lunch, it’s sure to please. Make a homemade muffin to accompany it. I like Pumpkin Bran Muffins,Cornbread Muffins with Herbs and Cheddar, orHealthy Apple Bran Muffins.

About This Salad

There are few steps involved in making this salad but they’re easy, and you can truly have this salad made in less than a half hour if you hustle. For Make-Ahead Ideas, keep reading.

I’ll run through the recipe here and give you lots of extra helpful tips. Look for the printable recipe card near the end of the post for complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Quinoa: You’ll need 3 cups of cooked quinoa or 1 cup uncooked. Make it ahead if you like . Did you know that you can also freeze cooked quinoa?
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): Look for low sodium canned beans. Chickpeas are high in protein and have many nutritional benefits. They hold their shape well and have almost a nutty texture.
• Dried Apricots: Golden bits of dried apricot add visual appeal and bites of chewy sweetness. Golden raisins or dried cherries are good substitutes.
• Fresh Blackberries: Rinse the berries well and dry them on paper towels. Blackberries work well because they don’t fall apart easily and look beautiful.
• Pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds): Toast them in a skillet with honey, olive oil, and a dash of cayenne until they are golden brown. They are crunchy and delicious.
• Red Onion: I love red onion but it can be a bit strong in flavor. Soak sliced onions in ice water for 10 minutes or so to take out the sharpness. Drain them really well before adding to the salad. Green onions are a good substitute.
• Feta Cheese: If you prefer low fat or nonfat feta, that’s okay but full-fat feta really has much better flavor and texture. Because it’s so flavorful, you don’t need to add a lot to the salad. Why not go for the good stuff?
• Fresh Mint Leaves and Fresh Parsley: This duo is essential to the salad, especially the mint leaves. Both herbs are usually available at grocery stores and keep well in the fridge. Did you know that both mint and parsley are really easy to grow yourself? Even novice gardeners (like me!) have good luck growing these two herbs.
• Homemade White Wine Vinaigrette: This simple vinaigrette is made with olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. You can use this easy dressing for all sorts of salads.

FAQs

ways to Customize the Salad

While we think this salad is perfect just the way it is, it has lots of different components so there are endless ways you can make it your own, depending on your preferences, or on what you have in the house. Feel free to experiment and try different combinations. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings! In fact, here are a few suggestions:

• Add greens: Add spinach leaves or finely chopped kale if you’d like to up your greens intake for the day.
• Crunch factor: Add crunch with a different type of nut or seed. Always toast them first for the best flavor. Pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or sliced almonds are good choices. I also love this nut-free savory granola topping.
• Play around with the fruit. Blueberries, strawberries, or cherries are great alternatives. Dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins could take the place of dried apricots.
• Different cheese suggestions: Try blue cheese, goat cheese, or gorgonzola instead of feta cheese. Tiny cubes of manchego or asiago are also yummy.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Cook and cool the quinoa a day or two ahead. I cook a big batch of quinoa and freeze it for later use. Toast the pepitas up to a week in advance. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Mix the dressing ahead and store it in the fridge. Shake it well before using. The salad can be made in its entirety at least an hour or two in advance, reserving the pepitas and blackberries to add later. It’s good served chilled or at room temp.

Storage Tips

Leftover salad? It will keep in the fridge in a covered container for a couple of days. If you think you won’t be serving all of it, reserve the pepitas in a separate container to retain their crunch. I reserve the blackberries as well so they don’t turn the salad purple.

Tired of sandwiches for lunch? Pack quinoa salad in individual containers to bring to work. You’ll be so glad you did!

Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this quinoa salad recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #22. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!

We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.

See Also

Top 20 Keto Recipes on Cast Iron Keto

More Recipes With Quinoa

I’m crazy about quinoa so you’ll find lots of quinoa recipes on my site. This versatile seed/grain is healthy, easy to prepare, and is at home in salads, tacos, muffins, soups, and stews. Try:

• Chicken Caprese Quinoa Bake
• Vegetarian Quinoa Chili with Black Beans
• Vegan Tacos with Roasted Carrots, Mushrooms, Quinoa, and Black Beans
• Kale Sweet Potato Salad with quinoa and creamy chili lime dressing
• Southwestern Instant Pot Chicken and Quinoa
• Green Chile Chicken Quinoa Casserole
• Southwestern Quinoa Bowl with Chicken
• Quinoa Pancakes orApple Quinoa Pancakes
• Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup with Quinoa