Moroccan-Inspired Quinoa Salad With Chickpeas

This Moroccan quinoa salad with chickpeas is loaded with fresh crunchy vegetables, tart apple, tender dried cranberries, fresh mint, and warm spices. It’s a quick and easy vegan lunch idea or enjoy it as a side dish with your favorite protein.

Moroccan spices such as cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne pepper are my favorite way to dress up quinoa salad. It’s packed with flavor and will be your new go-to salad recipe for the summer.

Why you’ll love this quinoa salad

It’s versatile – You can easily customize this salad based on your taste preferences and what you have on hand.

For example, if you don’t have red bell pepper, you can substitute with any color of bell pepper. If you don’t have green peas, you can substitute with chopped zucchini. If you don’t have dried cranberries, you can substitute with raisins or chopped dates.

It’s perfect to feed a crowd – It’s vegan and vegetarian friendly. This quinoa salad is a healthy side dish for picnics or busy weeknights.

It’s fast to make – There’s no need to roast any vegetables or turn the oven on during the hot summer. It takes less than 30 minutes to make this salad. You can prep the veggies and dressing while the quinoa cooks.

Moroccan quinoa salad ingredients

Quinoa: I use white quinoa for this recipe, which is the most common one and has a mild flavor. Quinoa is a gluten-free alternative to grains.

It’s a great source of protein, fiber, and essential amino acids. It takes only 15 minutes to cook, which makes it ideal for an easy weeknight meal.

Garlic: This helps give the quinoa good flavor. You can substitute with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic.

Spices: I use ground cinnamon, ground cumin, turmeric, fine sea salt, and cayenne pepper in this quinoa salad. These are popular warm spices used in Moroccan cuisine and make this salad recipe so flavorful.

If you’re sensitive to heat, then leave out the cayenne pepper.

Vegetable broth: I like to cook the quinoa in vegetable broth to give it better flavor. I use Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base.

Vegetables: I use red bell pepper, frozen green peas, carrot, and red onion in this quinoa salad.

Apple: I like adding an apple to salad because it gives it a sweet and tart flavor. My favorite apple to use is Granny Smith, Gala or Honeycrisp.

Dried cranberries: I love adding dried cranberries to salads because it also gives it a sweet and tart flavor. You can substitute with raisins or chopped dates if you prefer.

Chickpeas: I like adding a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to this quinoa salad to make it more filing, especially if you’re enjoying this as a vegan lunch. Chickpeas are a good source of plant-based protein.

Mint: Fresh mint adds a refreshing and bright element to this salad recipe. You can use fresh chopped cilantro or parsley if you prefer.

Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice adds a nice tangy taste in this salad. It also helps to keep the vegetables and apple fresh, which makes this quinoa salad ideal for a make ahead meal.

Olive oil: This helps enhance the flavor in this salad and provides a good source of healthy fat.

Fresh ginger: This adds a nice spicy element to the salad and makes the flavors pop. Fresh ginger can also help aid digestion.

If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger when cooking the quinoa.

How to make Moroccan quinoa salad with chickpeas

Make the quinoa: Heat the olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric. Cook, stirring constantly for 30-60 seconds.

Add the quinoa and gently stir for 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid has evaporated (about 15 minutes).

Remove from the heat and lift the lid to add the frozen green peas. Cover again and let stand for 5 minutes.

Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl or Mason jar with a fitted lid, add the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, grated ginger, salt, and several grinds of freshly ground black pepper.

Whisk until everything is combined or seal the jar and shake well to combine. 

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add the slightly cooled quinoa and green peas, bell pepper, shredded carrot, red onion, apple, dried cranberries, chickpeas, and chopped mint.

Drizzle the prepared dressing over everything and toss until evenly combined. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Enjoy!

What to serve with Moroccan quinoa salad

This quinoa salad can be enjoyed as a vegan lunch or light dinner. It can also be served alongside your favorite protein or other side dishes. Below are some suggestions:

• Roasted vegetables
• Grilled chicken, shrimp, lamb, steak, fish, tofu, or tempeh
• Tagine
• Falafel
• Hummus and pita chips
• Kebobs
• Kofta
• Side salad

How to store leftover Moroccan quinoa salad

Leftover quinoa salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

I don’t recommend freezing the salad as some of the vegetables can become mushy after thawing.

Please let me know how you like this Moroccan-inspired quinoa salad with chickpeas in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this salad as much as I do.

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