Gluten free Moroccan salad recipe with chickpeas and quinoa! This zippy healthy salad is far from boring. Layers of quinoa, spiced chickpea, dried fruit, pistachios, feta cheese, and vegetables. Great to serve as a gluten free and vegetarian main meal or side dish.
Let’s continue with fresh and light quinoa recipes, shall we? Lately I’ve been hooked on all kinds of quinoa salads! Yes, the love is genuine and real, maybe even borderline obsessive. Can you blame me?
Today’s recipe and quinoa food theme is just as LOVELY and somewhat SPRING-Y! It also has a bit of Mediterranean and Moroccan flare. My favorite type of food!
That being said, let me present to you… drum roll please….
MOROCCAN Style Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Swooning!
Although, I have to give you the backstory on this salad and why I ended up making it.
First of all, I needed another simple meal prep dish for lunches. I should really update you on life, but let’s just say we’ve had more transitions, life transitions. And meal prep recipes have saved us!
Secondly, the Kiwi (aka my husband) has requested lighter dinners, like salad for dinner. WHAT? A salad? Soup and salad, yes. Salad for lunch, sure. Side salads, always. I’m all about that. But I’ve never heard him request a salad as main DINNER meal. But it makes perfect sense. Spring and Summer is in the air. We’re craving those foods, naturally! And I shouldn’t be one to complain about a no cook meal for dinner.
That being said, if we’re going to have a salad for dinner, it’s going to be a WHOLESOME and one with lots of FLAVOR!”
Truth be told, I feel wrong serving a man a plain salad. Heck, I grew up with three brothers. They always said salad was just water, no lie. With their words in my mind, I was driven.
Ways to serve this Chickpea Quinoa Salad!
- Meal prep! Great to take to work or for kids/athletes looking for a quick nutrient dense meal.
- Make it fresh and serve at a potluck or party. This salad is so fresh, beautiful, and flavorful!
- Double the recipe and make this quinoa salad the Main dish around your dinner table. Toss in grilled chicken, fish, or uncured meat. Pair with soft boiled eggs or hard boiled eggs. Or keep as is, hearty and plant based!
The surprising thing is, this salad took little effort. And if you have a variety of leftovers in your house, it’s even better!
Ingredients to make a Moroccan Chickpea Quinoa Salad!
- Leafy greens for the base layer
- Chickpeas
- Moroccan Spices – think turmeric, cumin, and/or paprika!
- Cooked Quinoa
- Fig or Dates
- Fresh herbs such as Mint or Basil
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Carrots or Zucchini
- Red Onion
- Unshelled Pistachios
- Feta
- Balsamic vinegar and olive oil
- Splash of Lemon if you’d like.
OH my, the layers alone were hearty but still fresh and light in texture. Does that make sense? See for yourself with the recipe!
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Moroccan Salad with Quinoa and Chickpeas
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Gluten free Moroccan salad recipe with chickpeas and quinoa! This zippy healthy salad is far from boring. Layers of quinoa, spiced chickpea, dried fruit, pistachios, feta cheese, and vegetables. Great to serve as a gluten free and vegetarian main meal or side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ⅔ cup canned chickpeas, drained OR pre-roasted chickpeas
- toss fresh chickpeas with a pinch of ground turmeric, pepper, kosher salt, and optional ground ginger
- 4 to 6 cups leafy greens
- 1 cup diced carrot or zucchini
- ⅔ cup diced tomatoes
- ⅓ cup chopped red or green onion
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- ½ cup (1 ounce) crumbled or cubed feta cheese
- 4 dried or fresh figs or sliced or diced pitted dates
- ½ to 1 ounce pistachios
- Garnish – splash lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint (~3 mint leaves)
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa according to the package or see this blog post for tips. Fluff with fork and set aside.
- Rinse the chickpeas (if using canned) and then toss with a pinch of turmeric, pepper, salt and ground ginger. In a large bowl, add the chickpeas and cooked quinoa.
- Add the greens, carrot, tomato, onion, parsley, feta, figs, and pistachios. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar honey, ground paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Finish by adding a splash of lemon juice to the salad garnish with fresh mint.
- Serve immediately or cover and place in fridge for up to 2 days. (see notes)
Notes
Storage Tips – To meal prep, keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.
Serving Tip – Add grilled chicken, prosciutto, salmon or seared lamb to the salad, if desired.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: salad
- Method: mix
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 303
- Sugar: 14.8 g
- Sodium: 295.8 mg
- Fat: 8.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.4 g
- Fiber: 9.4 g
- Protein: 11.1 g
- Cholesterol: 8.4 mg
Keywords: salad, chickpea salad, quinoa, gluten free, vegetarian, moroccan, mediterranean, healthy, gluten free
Can you just imagine diggin into all those layers? Gah, I’m pretty impressed with my man approved “salad” myself. Now, if only all men would be so open to eating a salad for dinner. I think I got lucky with my husband, the kiwi (lover of all foods) Cotter husband.
Okay, enough gushing over my salad. Let me know if you are known to make some pretty mean and green BIG A** salads (aka BAS)! If so, what’s in it? Moroccan spices, chickpeas, all the veg?
Do share!
Cheers,
LC
MORE HEALTHY SPRING SALAD RECIPES HERE!
This recipe is part of our fave Healthy Spring Salad Recipes collection. Check it out!
A friend made a few years ago and I loved it. Confused in dressing, lemon+splash. Does that mean you use a full lemon of juice in dressing? Plus splash later?
Just sent you an email! But thanks for pointing that out.
Thanks for this question. We definitely need to update and clarify the recipe here.
The dressing should be:
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp each ground paprika and cumin
sea salt and pepper to taste
Then garnishes and extras
splash of lemon
1/4 c chopped parsley leaves (fresh)
2 tbsp chopped mint (or 3 mint leaves)
Does that make sense? We’ll update the recipe card!
One of the best salads I have ever made. My dinner guests raved and I shared the recipe with everyone. Well done!
★★★★★
I am so glad to hear of it! Thank you so much:)
This was amazing! First thing I have tried on your sight. I used both yellow zucchini and carrots. I also “roasted” the veggies on the stove top. A little bit of olive oil in a cast iron pan—add onions and cook 3-4 min. Add carrots, chickpeas and zucchini for another 3-4. Turn off heat and add tomatoes. Layered as you said. Wonderful! The dressing is great. Leftovers were great as well.
★★★★★
Love the shrimp addition and the roasted veggies. That sounds divine Rhodena! Thank you for sharing this and for the feedback. <3
Is it 1/3 cup or 1/4 cup olive oil?
Chickpeas mixed with quinoa or separate layer? Stated both ways in recipe.
For the dressing? Depends on how much you want on your salad, ya know? And you can totally mix the chickpea and quinoa together or keep separate. This salad is very good either way! Hope that helps!
I made this salad just according the the recipe and it is delicious!! The only thing I personalized was the greens: I had beet greens in hand from having roasted beats so I mixed those half and half with red leaf lettuce. And I tossed a few roasted beets on top to use them up. This is fantastic!!
★★★★★
Oh I am so glad you shared your experience. Love love the beet greens. Such a great idea!
Oh.My.Gosh. This is the most colorful recipe on the planet. I’ll have to try it.
xo, Darlene 🙂
? thanks Darlene! Lmk how it goes
How nourishing! I always love chickpeas and quinoa in a salad. Yours ultimately looks like a massive rainbow bowl of beauty–so much color and all types of delicious vegetables in one glorious salad!
Totally! You’d love this. Have you tried the new kite hill vegan cheese? That would be awesome on this!
The flavors and textures in this sound absolutely AMAZING!
THIS should be the photo in the dictionary, next to the word “salad,” so that all anti-salad folks know how real, delicious nourishment should look.
★★★★★
I couldn’t agree more? I’ll submit a request to Webster’s if you will too?
Delicious and easy to make. I didn’t have squash on hand but roasted cauliflower and carrots instead and worked well as a substitute.
★★★★★
great idea! love the combo of cauliflower and carrots!
You had me at figs 🙂 This looks absolutely delicious!
let’s have a fig party!
I love that he requested a salad! M does like salad but doesn’t usually request them, just knows I’m gonna make one for him 😉 This looks utterly divine. LOVE the combo of flavors!!
This salad is stunning!
Also I love having salads as my main course, but like you it needs to be all about the toppings. Nutrient dense, filling, satisfying and of course tasty. I tend to color block my toppings too but that’s because I’m neurotic.
i’ve seen your salads—> UBER IMPRESSIVE
Oh I won’t mind to serve salad as a main dish at all! Actually dish has been our main dish for dinner for almost a month! It’s truly hot in Austin.
Love the flavor combination here and the quinoa and beans provides good feuls and protein. Pour me a glass of wine and I can enjoy a big bowl of this 😉
★★★★★
done deal! let’s make that happen!
Oh my- this looks divine!
This salad is ALMOST too pretty to eat. Almost. Can’t wait to make it along with that naan!! Mmmm 🙂
it will rock your socks off…just sayin. 😉
Have I told you that your photography is awesome? I can see all the layers of that salad, and it’s beautiful. YUM.
have i told you that i LOVE YOU!? xxoo thanks friend
Goodness gracious this looks fantastic!!
Wow that looks so colourful! I like to put fruit in my salads as I can find some leaves quite bitter. One of my favourites at the moment is to sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the salad. Little rubies of flavour and crunch to keep things interesting 🙂
oh i love that too! great idea
This looks amazing. So many delicious flavors!!
The word in the title “Moroccan” drew me in straight away there! I am a huge fan of Moroccan recipes. Mainly tagine recipes, of which I’ve done a few. I was lucky enough to live in Gibraltar for 2 years in the 1980’s and we spent our holidays in Morocco.
You’ve opened up my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities with “Moroccan” salads. Adding to my yummly recipe box and pinterest!
Lovely! 😀
★★★★★
okay I”m officially jealous!
I just bought a bunch of fresh basil today for a recipe I am going to make!
Figs and basil sound heavenly and this salad looks gorgeous.
I have made salads as the main course before and my kids have loved it! I think if it’s colorful and interesting they are all over it. I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks friend! 🙂
yes!! fresh basil for the win! <3
Marry me!
I love everything you listed about what you wanted to prove with this salad. And you nailed it. I would happily scoff this down as a meal. Adore on so many levels. Especially because I LOVE moroccan food! Pinning! What a fab gluten free salad that you wouldn’t even consider being gluten free!
★★★★★
exactly!! Easy really, just add a lot of color! haha
Now this is just looks amazing (and gorgeous!), and you’ve more than proven your point(s). I’ve been slacking on my salads lately, but I’d definitely eat a whole lot more of them if they looked this good!
well you’ve been making up for it with your delicious smoothies and flourless goodies. which i could definitely live off of!
Yum!! This salad looks delicious. I’ll be pinning this one for later. I feel the same way as you about serving salad to my husband… it better be substantial or else he’s will give me “the look”. Ha! Thanks for the sharing this recipe 🙂
haha I know, right? that look is never good
That is one delicious combination! So many flavors and add-ins! I love it!
I’m salad OBSESSED. I like all of my dinners in the summer to be served crunchy and cold.
yes, the colder and crunchier the better!
Lindsay, you are really killing it with these Moroccan recipes! I so love layers – when it comes to food! Just reading through these layers makes me drool – so many layers, so many flavors!
layers are the best, right? dig in!
Ooooh yum!! I love salads that are packed with yummy things.. this looks awesome!
you and me both!
Can you send a big bowl of that to Seattle please? That looks incredible! My favorite salads usually involve goat cheese, roasted chickpeas, and potatoes of some sort because I do need all of the carbs.
yes yes, i will come to seattle! i need a break from heat! haha
This looks amazing!!
So many amazing flavors in this dish…I just picked up some figs yesterday from Trader Joe’s…They can seriously go with everything! XOXO
I just pinned this. I love fig, basil, and prosciutto on pizza…. a salad is genius. Or I could just slather this on your naan. I’m hungry.
i totally did!
That is one beautiful salad!!! I need you as my cook! 🙂
I AM SO BORING!!!!! I am OK with that but would love to be rich & have somebody cook less boring stuff for me. 🙂
I’ll play lotto and then we can both hire people. One to clean for me, and one to cook for you! deal?
I need a maid too! 🙂
Such a beautiful salad! I love beefy salads. Something that drives me crazy about eating out is that the salads are so wimpy. When will restaurants catch up and build a real salad like this one?
seriously. i’m kinda over the simple strawberry spinach or the Caesar. haha
Wow!! Such a gorgeous salad!! Love the layers of colors and flavors!
This looks AMAZING! I’m such a salad person and when I would take salads into work people would ask what I put on them.. uhh, whatever was in the fridge today? Haha I might have to go get a few things for this one though 🙂
exactly!!! the more the better! haha
We haven’t had figs yet this season. I am going to look for them today. This is ther perfect salad to have with dinner tonight.
i see them all over at the markets now. You must get!
What a gorgeous salad. I love figs! I just bought some from our farmers market. I can taste the salty proscuitto with the sweet figs. Fresh figs remind me of when I traveled through Turkey. Almost daily, I would buy them from a street vendor and eat like an apple. Such vivid memories of what seems like a lifetime ago.
can we travel back to turkey together?
Love this idea, especially the figs. I really never think to get figs and I do actually like them. Great flavor combos going on here. If you come here and make this for me (with tofu) I’ll give you TOOOONNNNSSSS of fresh basil. Have it coming out of our ears 😉
um,yes, deal! maybe we can do a rain dance too and it will cool off! LOL!
This is a super colorful and beautiful salad- can’t go wrong with figs and proscuitto
amen to that!
I love that article from Real Simple. I feel like my years of cooking everything together are now justified as Morrocan cooking.
This salad looks amazing. I love the inclusion of figs!
haha i agree! we’re officially moroccan chefs!
I love salads as a meal! And with all these amazing ingredients, I bet people were coming back for seconds! I love figs and rarely think to add them to salads, that has just got to change! This is beautiful!
i know i did! haha. So good the next day too
I do not think it’s possible for a food picture to look any better than the pictures of this salad! Sounds and looks fancy, fresh, and absolutely delicious. This is definitely a keeper for when I want to be impressive!
i think you’d love! <3 maybe cauliflower rice versus quinoa
I feel the need to get all up on this salad (minus the prosciutto!)
yes, do it!!!
So many of my fav things are packed into this delicious salad!
One of my fav pizzas includes figs, proscuitto, basil, goat cheese and balsamic drizzle…so you should just dump some of this salad on one of your yummy naan breads and turn it into a pizza 🙂
oh yes, i kinda did that and added salmon.Gah… so good! thought of you! <3
Lindsay, take me to Morroco! I love this dish and I love exploring different cuisines. Oh and leftovers–so this is the PERFECT dish for me! Crazy good!
let’s go!!! pack your bags
Now, this is a NOT boring salad! Figs on a salad so good — really any fruit on a salad good!
except banana. haha. maybe?
You do realize that you have 3 of my favorite ingredients in the title, I love Moroccan food, and I love salad. Thus, You have essentially created me as a dish (not that I’m not positively dishy anyways). Good grief, Charlie Brown. I want to roll around in this and frolic.
I like to think the my salad are, in general, not boring. I love salad because it has endless possibilities, and every bite has the potential to be different! But that said, you gotta mix it up. I love using different sauces and such as dressings (love bbq), putting together hilarious combos (hello, shrimp and blueberry!). At the end of the day, make it yours 😀
you could never be boring, at all. and shrimp plus blueberry? YES I AM SO MAKING!