Quinoa and Chickpea Pesto Salad

by Gayle on May 16, 2016 (updated Aug 14, 2024) 48 comments »

This Quinoa and Chickpea Pesto Salad is filled with chickpeas, hearty quinoa, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and crumbled feta cheese. It’s tossed with a zesty pesto sauce that packs a punch of flavor in every bite. It’s easy to prepare and makes simple dish that’s perfect for lunch or dinner!

I’ve mentioned this before, but I never tried quinoa or chickpeas until about three years ago. I often seem to be behind on the newest food trends, so those took a back seat for a while. Along with hummus, which luckily, I discovered a few years ago and am now addicted to…but that’s another story!

Once I tried these two foods, I was hooked. I was buying chickpeas like crazy, roasting them, and tossing them into whatever dish I happened to whip up.

But, unfortunately, it’s been a while since I’ve combined the two. So to make up for the absence, I thought I would put a whole new twist on quinoa and chickpeas by adding in some pesto.

This salad is filled with chickpeas, hearty quinoa, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and crumbled feta cheese. It’s tossed with a zesty pesto sauce that packs a punch of flavor in every bite. It’s easy to prepare and makes simple dish that’s perfect for lunch or dinner!

And let me tell you, this salad is definitely not lacking in flavor! The tang from the red onions, the creaminess of the feta, and the basil pesto provides such a delicious combo. It’s light, simple, and refreshing for a spring-time dish.

If you love pesto as much as I do, then this salad is calling your name. And you really can’t get much easier than this! The most time consuming part of this Quinoa and Chickpea Pesto Salad is cooking the quinoa. But, really, it’s just boiling some water (or chicken broth for more flavor) and cooking until the quinoa absorbs all of the liquid.

Then, you simply toss the cooked quinoa, chickpeas, red onion, tomatoes, and feta in a bowl. Add some of this Basil Pesto Sauce, or use a store-bought version for convenience, and stir to combine. And that’s it! I told you it was easy peasy (and SO delish)!

So the next time you’re in the mood for a lighter salad, grab those chickpeas, cook that quinoa and whip up this flavorful Quinoa and Chickpea Pesto Salad! Perfect for parties, get-togethers, or just for a light meal, you’ll be making this over and over again!

Looking for more easy salad recipes? I’ve got you covered!