Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Blackberries & Candied Pepitas

Name: Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Blackberries & Candied Pepitas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups cooked quinoa); 2 cups water; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ cup raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds); 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon olive oil; Dash cayenne pepper; 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1½ cups); 1 cup thinly sliced red onion, about ½ onion (see note); ½ cup thinly sliced dried apricots; ½ cup chopped fresh parsley; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves; ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ½ oz); 6 oz. container blackberries; 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

4.8

40 mins

4 Comments

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By: Rachel GurkPosted: 01/04/2021Updated: 06/16/2021

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You’ll discover a myriad of exciting flavors and textures in this quinoa chickpea salad with candied pepitas, blackberries, apricots, and feta cheese.

There’s nothing boring about this quinoa salad! It covers all the bases: lots of protein in the quinoa, chickpeas, and feta; plenty of crunch in the red onions and candied pepitas; juicy purple blackberries and chewy sweet dried apricots; bright flavors of fresh mint and parsley; and a standout homemade vinaigrette. Every bite is so satisfying!

This salad is a feast for the eyes and tummy, and nutritionally, it’s a powerhouse. Every ingredient has attributes that contribute to a healthy diet. You can and will literally feel really good about eating this quinoa chickpea salad. Each one cup serving has only 257 calories. Your body will thank you, and so will your tastebuds!

Whether you serve quinoa salad as a meatless main dish, a hearty side salad, or a fantastic lunch, it’s sure to please. Make a homemade muffin to accompany it. I like Pumpkin Bran Muffins, Cornbread Muffins with Herbs and Cheddar, or Healthy Apple Bran Muffins.

About this quinoa chickpea salad:

There’s a few steps involved in making this salad but they’re easy, and you can truly have this salad made in less than a half hour if you hustle. For make ahead ideas, keep reading.

Tip: make at least a double batch or more of the pepitas because they’re so “snackably” tasty! (I know, I just made that word up!) Just saying, otherwise, you may end up with none for your salad. Unless you have more self-control than I do.

You might want to check out roasted pepitas: 8 different flavors for even more snacking. Toast the pepitas until they’re a deep golden brown for ultimate flavor.

What’s in quinoa salad?

Quinoa (you can cook it ahead if you like, you’ll need 3 cups of cooked quinoa – you can also freeze cooked quinoa)
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Dried apricots
Fresh blackberries
Pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), toasted with honey, olive oil, and a dash of cayenne
Red onion
Feta cheese
Fresh mint leaves and fresh parsley
Homemade white wine vinaigrette

How to make this quinoa salad recipe your own:

While we think this salad is perfect, it has lots of different components so there are endless ways you can customize it, depending on your preferences, or on what you have in the house. Feel free to experiment and try different combinations. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings! In fact, here’s a few suggestions:

Add spinach leaves or finely chopped kale if you’d like to up your greens intake for the day.
Substitute pistachios or sliced almonds for the pepitas.
Play around with the fruit. Blueberries, strawberries, or cherries would be great alternatives. Dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins could take the place of dried apricots.
Try blue cheese, goat cheese, or gorgonzola instead of feta cheese. Tiny cubes of manchego or asiago would also be yummy.
Looking for more of a Mediterranean twist with tomatoes, cucumber, and olives? Try this recipe from Jo Cooks — it’s dressed with a lemon vinaigrette that sounds great!

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

Leftover salad? It will keep in the fridge in a covered container for a couple of days. If you think you won’t be serving all of it, reserve the pepitas in a separate container to retain their crunch. I reserve the blackberries as well so they don’t turn the salad purple.

Tired of sandwiches for your lunch? Pack quinoa salad in individual containers for lunches. You’ll be glad you did!

Make Ahead

Cook and cool the quinoa a day or two ahead. I cook a big batch of quinoa and freeze it for later use. Make the pepitas up to a week in advance. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Mix the dressing ahead and store it in the fridge. Shake it well before using. The salad can be made in its entirety (except for the pepitas) at least an hour or two in advance. It’s good served chilled or at room temp.

Quinoa Craziness

I’m crazy about quinoa so you’ll find lots of quinoa recipes on my site. This versatile seed/grain is healthy, easy to prepare, and is at home in salads, tacos, muffins, soups, and stews. Try:

Vegan Quinoa Salad with Brussels Sprouts & Pepitas

Chicken Caprese Quinoa Bake

Vegan Tacos with Roasted Carrots, Mushrooms, Quinoa, and Black Beans

Kale Sweet Potato Salad with Quinoa and Creamy Chili Lime Dressing

Southwestern Instant Pot Chicken and Quinoa

Green Chile Chicken Quinoa Casserole

Southwestern Quinoa Bowl with Chicken

Quinoa Pancakes or Apple Quinoa Pancakes

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup with Quinoa

Creamy Turkey Soup with Quinoa

Savory Quinoa Muffins