This salad is SUPER basic, but I literally ate it every day last week and will happily be eating it again all this week, so I think that alone makes it worth sharing. The great thing about this Spinach Chickpea and Quinoa Salad is that it holds up extremely well in the fridge and is super versatile. This is a great salad to just keep on hand to build different meals throughout the week, or to just eat as a quick bite when you’re short on time.
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How Long Does This Quinoa Salad Keep?
This salad holds up surprisingly well in the refrigerator, about four days, give or take some depending on the freshness of your ingredients and conditions inside your refrigerator. If you plan to make this salad ahead and eat it throughout the week, just keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving.
Can I Use Other Grains?
This salad is super versatile. You don’t have to use quinoa, in fact I’ve made this salad using other grains, like brown rice. You could even use cooked pasta. Just about any cooked grain or small pasta will work in place of the quinoa, so have fun!
Make it a Meal
This Quinoa Salad is more than just a side dish. To add variety to this salad throughout the week, try topping it with a hard or soft boiled egg, adding some grilled chicken, tofu, or even chopped lunch meat.
Spinach Chickpea and Quinoa Salad
Servings 4 about 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (or other grain) ($0.94)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.10)
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 4 cups fresh spinach ($0.80)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes ($1.99)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.55)
- 2 oz. feta ($1.50)
Instructions
- While your quinoa (or other grain) is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette so it has a few minutes for the flavors to blend. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Set the dressing aside.
- Roughly chop the spinach into smaller pieces, then place them in a large bowl. Slice the tomatoes in half, then add them to the bowl with the spinach. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, then add them to the bowl. Lastly, crumble the feta over top. Give these ingredients a brief stir until they’re combined.
- Allow your quinoa or grains to cool slightly, or just to the point where it’s no longer steaming. Add the warm quinoa to the salad and stir to combine. The heat from the quinoa will slightly wilt the spinach.
- Finally, drizzle the dressing over top and stir briefly once more. Serve the salad immediately, or refrigerate up to 4-5 days.
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Equipment
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Spinach, Chickpea, and Quinoa Salad – Step by Step Photos
This salad starts with two cups of cooked quinoa, or other grain or pasta. Quinoa only takes about 15 minutes to cook, so I simply cooked my quinoa while I prepared the rest of the salad. You’ll want to let your quinoa (or other grain) cool slightly before adding it to the salad, but it’s okay if it’s still quite warm.
While your grain is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Set the dressing aside so it has time to blend.
Chop about 4 cups of fresh spinach. I say four cups, but fresh spinach is very hard to accurately measure. Thankfully, this ingredient is very flexible in the salad, so don’t stress about it. I ended up using about half of this 10 oz. bag from Kroger.
Also slice 1 pint of grape tomatoes in half, rinse and drain one 15 oz. can of chickpeas, and crumble 2 oz. of feta. Stir these together briefly.
Finally, add the warm quinoa. Make sure it’s not still steaming hot, but you do want it to be slightly warm so that it will just barely wilt the spinach. Stir everything together.
Finally, drizzle the dressing over top, and give it a stir one more time.
And that’s it! And I swear, the salad looks exactly the same after four days of refrigeration, which is AWESOME. I love being able to just grab the container, fill a bowl, and have a healthy meal ready to go. :)
Lunch is served!
Can you use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
I don’t have red wine vinegar, can I substitute it?
I would say avoid white distilled vinegar if you can, but virtually any other vinegar could be swapped!
Just made this, doubled the vinaigrette and added some chopped parsley. So Good!!
Great recipe! Good for when you have lots of spinach. I’ve made it a few times for lunch, it’s delicious cold or warmed up. Perfect for adapting, some subs I’ve made are shredded cheddar cheese for feta, black beans for the garbanzo beans. Added smoked sausage, chicken sausage, shredded chicken etc. You could probably add other veggies if eating it cold, like chopped peppers or carrots.
Made this tonight and it was perfect for a hot summer day! I did have to double the dressing and add extra garlic. Thanks for the great, healthy recipe!
I added a tuna packet which adds 18g of protein. Yummy and filling lunch!
Insanely good.
Packed with protein this is a delicious salad to bring to any pot luck. Topped with fresh salmon for a sit down dinner for the family. Love the feta. Would add peppers and used artichoke juice for extra flare. Yum.
My family likes all the things in this dish but was skeptical when combined. boy were they surprised! my hubs at TWO bowls and declared “this is $^*!@ good!”. It was SUPPOSED to last for dinner last night and lunch today but NO LUNCH FOR ME! oh well. keep on creating this fantastic flavors for us to try! thank you Ms. Beth!
I made this with some substitutions. I used farro instead of quinoa since I already used quinoa in another meal-prep dish and baby kale because spinach for whatever reason was almost as expensive as baby kale at my grocery store this week. I went with baby kale because it tends to hold up better than spinach for the week. The dressing is delicious!
The farro was a good choice since it added a chewy texture, but I can see this working with any grain. Very versatile salad. Kudos to you!
Thank You for the life-saving recipes. I am a huge fan of your site.
Where have you been all my life lol! I just stumbled onto your site on Pinterest and immediately saved numerous recipes back to back! This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it! Healthy & vegetarian, thank you! Also saved a couple of your quiches & frittatas. Following from now on, thanks!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them! :)
This is my go-to meal prep recipe and work potluck recipe! LOVE IT!
Hi Beth. Greetings from Australia. Great and tasty recipe. I used cannellini (white kidney) beans and added some grated carrot.
Easy, Healthy, Yummy.
The perfect trio!
We really enjoyed it
I went a head and threw some of my salad in the skillet. Turned out real nice since I was in the mood for something hot
Made this for a dinner party and it was a hit! Thanks for another great recipe!
I was thinking of making this for the holidays. Is this still good served cold or is better warm?
It’s definitely great cold, but if you want to serve it right after making it and the quinoa is still a little warm, it’s great that way too. :)
Needed more dressing, but didnt want to ruin the fresh taste, so I splashed more lemon juice over the top. I think some avocado would be great in here too.
Just made this super recipe for like the sixth (???) time! A definite winner. So tasty. I take it to parties now in the summer. So good with the fresh tomatoes.
Wanted to pop up and say this was delicious! On my second making of this I had a provisioning oversight and forgot the chickpeas. A can of red kidney beans was my substitute and it was also delicious!
I love this recipe! My husband is in love with it to the point where we have to make it at least every 2 weeks. Thank you for this awesome dish!
So glad you’re enjoying it so much! :)
I’ve made this a few times and always top with yogurt marinated chicken to round out for dinner. I’m making it for dinner tonight and can’t wait to eat it! So good and easy and healthy!
The only problem we had with this salad is that we couldn’t stop eating it—so no leftovers for lunches. To make it vegan, I deleted the cheese, topped it with toasted almonds and it was perfect. I plan on making this one again soon and often. Maybe there will be leftovers next time?
I knew from the moment I saw this recipe that I would love it – but I wasn’t too sure how it would go over with my carnivorous boyfriend. To my surprise, he loved it! This has become a regular side salad with my our meals.
Great salad! Loved it and so did our dinner guests. The only change I made was because I forgot to buy feta so used goat cheese instead. Such a fresh tasting salad with a good mix of textures.
Well, this is going into regular rotation. It turned out great. Side note, I think this site is the gold standard for written recipes. The step by step photos is greatly appreciated especially since it must be so much more work.
Thank you!! That is a HUGE compliment! <3
Hi Beth! I was thinking about adding some nice, crispy tofu to this dish to bulk it out a bit more. What kind of seasoning would you recommend for the tofu? Thanks!!
I would just do salt, and rely on the dressing to flavor the salad. You may want to increase the dressing to account for the extra volume. :)
This is really delicious and looking very pretty. well before this blog i was using the recipe of youtube channel where they making quinoa salad without chickpeas and i don’t know that i can experiment as that recipe seems to easy for me, link of previous recipe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGSkXHnH_js&t=33s
This was delicious!!!! Do you have the nutritional info if it is cooked as is?
This is perfect! I was looking for ways to meal prep salads for school lunches and this hit the jackpot!
I made this last night for supper. I tossed the chickpeas with some spices and roasted them. It was delicious! I will be making this a lot this summer as it’s so simple and healthy. Thank you:)
I just got around to making this recipe. I added things that I had aready in the fridge. I added water cress, spinach, vidalia onions, beans and quinoia Aldi has it on clearance for 2.31 a bag. I think to change up the flavor next time I am thinking maybe a mango or pinapple with jalep. and maybe cilantro. The possibilities are endless. Thank you for the tip on cooking quinoia my tends to burn as well.
Finally got around to making this, added some cucumber and parsley too, kind of a taboulleh salad. Sooo good! Quick and easy, too. Will try with farro and millet and see how that works out.
So yummy! I’m a baby about tomatoes, so I subbed in red bell peppers like the “inspiration dish” and both hubby and I loved it.
Hi!
I LOVE your blog– it has been a lifesaver for me over the past 3+ years.
What do you think about substituting lentils for quinoa? Bad idea?
I think that would be pretty tasty. :) Lentils are great in salads.
Delicious! My hard-to-please family approved. Actually made it twice in the last week. It’s a keeper! Thank you for the recipe.
Added cucumber and topped with yogurt marinated chicken breast to round it out for dinner. Would def be a good lunch salad as is. So good!
This was good! I accidentally left out the garbanzos but think I like it better that way. It’s a very light refreshing salad. I did have to add some salt and think it could use some extra dressing, but as is it’s pretty tasty and holds up in the fridge well as stated.
I forgot to ask, do you have any good substitutes for feta? I love it but it’s pretty expensive here in Cali.
Goat cheese would be awesome, but that’s usually pretty pricey as well. You could do some cubed mozz, especially if you’re doing extra dressing because then it will soak up some of the flavors from the dressing and won’t be so mild. :)
What other type of green would you recommend besides spinach?
Very finely chopped kale would work nicely.
Does anyone have any times/tips/exact measurements on cooking quinoa? Mine burns every time. I might sub pasta. The salad was tasty on it’s own, though.
Cooking quinoa is a lot like rice. I use a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water. Combine both in a sauce pan and bring it to a rolling boil. Once it hits a rolling boil, cover, turn burner as low as possible and just don’t touch it for 15 minutes. After that time, it should be good to go. If it’s still a little wet, just re-cover and put on real low heat for 2-5 minutes or so.
If you want to get a little fancy, you can toast the quinoa with a Tb of oil in the pan before adding the water. A little salt with the water can help the flavor as well.
I have a new way to cook quinoa if you have time to do it. I found the suggestion on another website. Bring your water/broth to a boil, add the quinoa, cover and turn off the heat. It takes a bit longer to absorb the liquid but you never burn it!
Just made this and it is soooooo good! I added cucumber and red onion to mine and omitted the chickpeas (it’s a texture thing) and I absolutely love it! Will definitely be making this again!
Made this for dinner last night to accompany a grilled salmon and grilled summer squash. Now I’m eating it for lunch. Very good! Definitely a keeper!
Another great recipe! I added shrimp and zucchini to mine and have been taking it for lunch. It’s delicious and really filling as well! Also saw someone hesitant about the spinach not being soggy. I’m on day 3 and the spinach still isn’t soggy!
Used this recipe as my meal prep for this week. The salad is super fresh and tasty. I eat mainly plant based and this packs protein and flavor. Couldn’t ask for more.
This is a great, simple recipe and really hit the spot for yesterday’s dinner and today’s lunch. Next time I’ll probably increase the amount of dressing a bit since the flavor is so delicious. Also, I might toss the spinach into the hot quinoa sooner so it wilts more. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Do you think millet would work? I was given a bag and don’t know what to do with it.
I’ve never cooked millet, but I really think any cooked grain would work well here. :)
I cook millet on a semi-regular basis, as it is my grain of choice. Haven’t tried this recipie here, but it basically works almost everywhere in place of quinoa. It would work here.
Just made this tonight and I am SO happy with this recipe!!!!! I had Kale from the garden, so I used that instead of spinach and tossed in some cucumber and red onion. Y.U.M.
I’m eating this right now and it’s AMAZING! I made mine with barley as the grain, because I had a quinoa salad for my lunches last week and needed a break from good old Q. Anyway, this salad is so good and so easy to make. The dressing is to die for! I’m already thanking my past self for making a double batch. I like to layer my salads in mason jars and store them in the fridge, they keep really well all week stored like that. I also keep my dressing separate, but that’s just a personal preference. Thank you for another great recipe!!
Literally eating this right now and it’s so good I’m compelled to leave a comment immediately. I added some capers (because I’m obsessed and always have them on hand) and topped the bowl I’m eating with some avocado and diced cucumber. It is SO delicious and super simple to whip up. Excited to have this for lunch next week!
oh. capers….yes!!!!
Love love this salad and my addition of toasted walnuts took it over the top!
QuinWOW! Just made this and love it. I doubled the vinaigrette (because I know me…). That by itself is a treasure, so adding it to this dish is like a baptism in deliciousness. And it makes my tummy happy :). Thank you once again!
Hahaha I love everything about this comment. :)
I absolutely loved how it turned out!!! This will be a go to now for my lunches
This is very similar to a salad I often make! Except I do a honey mustard vinaigrette. Going to try this version for sure.
That sounds good!
I know you said it looks the same 4 days later… but spinach? With dressing? I’m having a hard time believing!
What’s your secret? ;-) I really want to know because this looks awesome.
I’ve been thinking about that too and I think it’s a combination of two things: there isn’t a LOT of dressing and I think the grains help regulate the moisture level some how and keeps everything from getting soggy. And don’t forget, the spinach is kind of half wilted from the heat of the cooked grains to begin with.
Looks delicious! I’ll be trying it with farro. as well.
This looks amazing, and so versatile! I’m still getting used to preparing dishes with quinoa…will one cup dry result in two cups cooked? Or a different ratio? Thanks so much for your blog. I’m a frequent flyer here and love your recipes!
Quinoa actually almost triples when cooking, so you’ll only need about 1/3C dry.
Or cook 1 full cup and use the rest for other things :)
I would estimate about 2/3 cup dry would make about 2 cups cooked. I just went ahead and cooked 1 cup quinoa dry and I had about 1/3 of it left over after measuring out my 2 cups of cooked for the salad.
Nice recipe to make for lunch this week
Would barley work?
Sure! Barley is great in cold salads.
Also thankful for the office lunch idea ! Will be back :-)
Do you know the nutritional info?
This looks amazing. You’re giving me inspiration on what to bring to lunch to work, so I’m going to give this recipe a try!!! :-)