This curry quinoa chickpea salad is one of my quick, easy go-to meals. I'll often make it when I have leftover quinoa. When I do, preparing this takes only 15 minutes to whip up. I love eating this for lunch because not only do I feel satisfied, but I feel energized. Don't limit this to lunch; it also makes a lovely light dinner.
Pile those mixed salad greens high! There's so much nutrient goodness in these dark leafy salad greens. I think sometimes our minds believe that just because it's so huge, it must be "too much food." When eating fresh veggies, like salad greens, baby spinach, kale, arugula, etc.—load up because the antioxidants, phytochemicals, water content, and fiber are high, while the calorie density (number of calories for a given weight of food) is low. All of this can help you to restore health and lose weight.
This Curry Quinoa Chickpea Salad has 11 key ingredients:
- Quinoa
- Mixed baby greens, baby spinach or chopped kale
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Garlic
- Curry powder (yellow)
- Chickpeas
- Lemon
- Fresh cilantro (or parsley)
- Avocado
- Pumpkin seeds
How to Prepare
- Place quinoa and water into a small pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the water is absorbed—about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit and fluff with a fork.
- Dry sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic for 2–4 minutes, adding a dash of water if they stick to the pan.
- Stir in curry powder, then one cup of quinoa and chickpeas. Turn off heat and salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare a large bowl or plate of mixed baby greens, baby spinach, or chopped kale. Pile it high!
- Add the warmed (or chilled) chickpea and quinoa mixture to the salad greens, and dress with fresh lemon (or lime) juice. Top with fresh herbs, sliced avocado, and pumpkin seeds.
While I love this salad with just lemon juice, check out Tahini Garlic Lemon Dressing if you prefer more saucinessTahini Garlic Lemon Dressing. The Best Toasted Pecan Balsamic Vinaigrette is excellent on this salad too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover chickpea quinoa mixture separate from the baby salad greens to avoid the salad greens from going limp and mushy. The chickpea quinoa mixture keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Eating chickpeas and other beans, as well as peas and lentils, is good for weight loss. Beans are high in fiber and protein, while being low in fat. This aids in weight loss because the fiber and protein help you to feel fuller, without adding excessive calories from fat. The fiber in chickpeas and other beans also influences gut health through the production of short chain fatty acids that can influence your hunger and satiety hormones further aiding in weight loss. If you want to learn more about the role of fiber in gut health and weight loss, check out the book, Fiber Fueled by gastroenterologist Dr. Will Bulsiewicz.
Canned chickpeas provide a fast, convenient alternative to cooking dried beans. Canned chickpeas are a healthy option if they are low in sodium. It's also recommended to choose BPA (bisphenol A)-free canned beans whenever possible due to potential toxicity concerns. If, however, you prefer dried beans (trust me, they are wonderful!), check out How to Cook Dried Beans.
— Gigi
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Curry Quinoa Chickpea Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This curry quinoa chickpea salad is easy and tasty. It will become your new go-to recipe for lunch or light dinner. You'll need quinoa, chickpeas, salad greens, bell pepper, garlic, onion, yellow curry powder, lemon (or lime), cilantro (or parsley), avocado, and pumpkin seeds. #chickpeasalad #quinoa #curry #healthyveganrecipes #danielfastrecipes
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa, dry
- 1 cup water
- 4 to 5 cups mixed baby greens, baby spinach, or chopped kale
- ½ onion, diced
- ½ bell pepper, diced (red, orange, yellow or green)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 ½ tsp (yellow) curry powder
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon (or lime) juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped
- ½ avocado, sliced
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Place quinoa and water into a small pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the water is absorbed—about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit and fluff with a fork.
- Dry sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic for 2–4 minutes, adding a dash of water if they stick to the pan.
- Stir in curry powder, then one cup of quinoa and chickpeas. Turn off heat and salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare a large bowl or plate of mixed baby greens, baby spinach, or chopped kale. Pile it high!
- Add the warmed (or chilled) chickpea and quinoa mixture to the salad greens, and dress with fresh lemon (or lime) juice. Top with fresh herbs, sliced avocado, and pumpkin seeds.
Optional: If you want it more "saucy," add Tahini Lemon Garlic Dressing.
Notes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch/Dinner Entrée
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: salad, greens, quinoa, curry, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, daniel fast complaint, daniel fast recipes, healthy vegan recipes, lunch, dinner, entree, gluten free, nut free, soy free
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Leslie Dunbar
So this is my third review of a Daniel’s Plate recipe and I just can’t stop raving about how delicious and clean these recipes are!! This dish is delicious warm or cold! Please give it a try, you won’t regret it!!
★★★★★