Greek Chicken Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
This colorful and tasty Greek Chicken, Quinoa & Chickpea Salad is filled with all sorts of tasty and good-for-you ingredients! It’s fresh, tangy, crunchy, and zesty, and it is hearty enough that it is a great main dish. Want a chilled protein and fiber-packed salad that’ll really satisfy? This is it!
I just love the crunch of chickpeas, and when you pair them with healthy quinoa, you get a fabulous salad that’s full of flavor and texture. This Greek-inspired quinoa and chickpea salad with chicken is easy to make and is the perfect pick when you want to make it ahead of time.
Greek Chicken Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
Everyone loves this salad! It is a delicious and healthier alternative for backyard BBQs, dinner parties, and events of all kinds. And it’s easy to double in case you need to feed a crowd. It’s also a great pick on buffets, and it’s easy to make vegetarian – see my tips below on how to make this a vegetarian Greek chickpea and quinoa salad. I especially love that I can prep it ahead of time and pop it into the fridge overnight so that it’s ready to grab and go.
I use canned chickpeas in this easy salad recipe, but you can use dried ones and cook them ahead of time.
Why I love this Chicken, Quinoa, and Chickpea Salad
- You can use leftover chicken – grilled, baked, smoked, or whatever you have.
- The fresh herbs in this salad are amazing and give it such a pop of flavor.
- It’s easy to double if you need to feed a crowd.
Gather these ingredients
- Canned chickpeas – 15-oz can; rinsed and drained.
- Quinoa
- Cooked chicken breast
- English cucumber – Finely diced.
- Cherry tomatoes – Halved.
- Kalamata olives – Pitted, drained, and halved.
- Red onion – Finely diced.
- Radishes – Thinly sliced.
- Feta cheese – Crumbled.
- Fresh dill – Chopped.
- Fresh parsley – Chopped.
For the dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon – You need the juice from half a lemon.
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic – Fresh cloves; pressed or very finely chopped.
- Honey
- Dried oregano
- Salt – I use kosher salt.
- Freshly cracked black pepper
How to make Greek Chicken Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
- Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package and set it aside to cool.
- Combine the drained chickpeas, cooked quinoa, diced chicken, diced cucumbers, halved tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onions, and radishes in a large bowl.
- Crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle it over the top, then add half the herbs.
- Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, finely chopped garlic, honey, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until well mixed.
- Add the remaining herbs to the dressing and mix well.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Adjust the seasoning and serve, or refrigerate up to overnight before serving.
How to make this a vegetarian salad
It’s easy to transform this Greek Chicken, Quinoa, and Chickpea Salad into a vegetarian one. You just need to make a few swaps:
- Omit the chicken or use plant-based chicken
- Make sure your feta is vegetarian-friendly. Not all brands are.
- Use agave syrup instead of honey as the sweetener.
Tips & suggestions
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas before adding them to the salad, but save the liquid from the can. It’s called aquafaba and it can be used in many recipes.
- You can use any kind of quinoa in this recipe.
- Don’t have leftover chicken? Buy grilled chicken strips from the store and save yourself some prep work.
- Adjust the sweetness of the dressing to suit your taste by adding a bit more honey.
- This salad tastes better after the ingredients have had a chance to soak up the dressing, so try to make it at least 1-2 hours ahead of time.
Serving suggestions
This is a 1-bowl meal, and it’s also a no-cook meal that’s hearty enough to be the main dish. You can serve it as a side dish; it’ll pair nicely with grilled beef, lighter seafood dishes, and more. Or, just enjoy a hearty serving of this salad along with a fabulous dessert.
You could also design your own Big Board around this salad. Instead of adding chicken to the salad, put the chicken in a bowl on the side, along with other add-ins like grilled shrimp, salmon, or diced beef. You could add other Greek favorites to the board, like pita wedges and tzatziki, or be inspired by this Greek charcuterie board.
Storage
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This salad will not freeze well; it is best eaten fresh.
Check out these awesome hearty salad recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Greek Chicken Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked to package directions
- 1 cup small diced pieces of cooked chicken breast
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
- ¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, drained and halved
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup radishes, finely sliced
- ¾ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice from half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the drained chickpeas, cooked quinoa, diced chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, and radishes. Crumble the feta cheese on top and ½ of the dill and parsley.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Also add in the remaining dill and parsley. Whisk until combined.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad; gently toss.
- Adjust seasoning and serve or refrigerate overnight.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
