Looking for a quick and easy salad? This Beetroot, Feta, and Quinoa Salad with chickpeas is a delicious and nutritious, light, healthy lunch idea.
Why you should make this
This salad tastes so fresh has a fantastic balance of sweetness from the beetroot and saltiness from the feta. The recipe is also:
- a great easy cold lunch idea for adults
- an easy lunch to take to work
- a low calorie filling vegetarian meal
- a fantastic Mediterranean diet lunch recipe
Variations
There are a number of ways you can switch up this recipe according to your tastes. Here are some ideas to try:
- Add More Veggies: Experiment with different salad veg. You could add any leftover roasted veg or try grated carrot or celery for some crunch.
- Switch the Grains: Substitute quinoa with other grains like farro, bulgur, or couscous for a different texture and taste.
- Add a Protein Boost: Include grilled chicken or tofu to make the salad more filling and protein-rich.
FAQs
What is quinoa?
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a gluten-free grain-like seed that is high in protein, fibre and antioxidants. There are many types including black, white and red. Quinoa has a lot of nutrients including vitamin E, magnesium, folate, zinc and iron.
Is quinoa a protein or a carb?
Quinoa is a seed and the majority of the calories are in the form of carbs, although it does also provide some protein. It is therefore classified as a carbohydrate.
Ingredients
Cooked quinoa – having some pre-cooked quinoa in the fridge will save you time on this recipe. If you’re cooking it from scratch it’s really easy and takes about 15 minutes: how to cook quinoa.
Cooked beetroot – you can buy this vacuum packed in the salad section of your grocery store. Do not use pickled beetroot.
Feta cheese
Cucumber
Chickpeas – canned chickpeas are the easiest to use in this recipe. Or leftover Roasted Chickpeas would taste great in this salad.
Fresh Parsley and Chives
Olive oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil for it’s flavour and nutrient profile
Vinegar – you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Djon mustard
Salt and pepper
Mixed lettuce
How to make beetroot feta and quinoa salad
- Prepare the dressing – in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad – reserve a tablespoon of the chopped parsley for a garnish. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, chopped cucumber, chopped chives and the remaining parsley.
- Dress the salad and add beetroot – drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Then add the beetroot and toss once more. Try not to over-mix or the beetroot may turn everything purple! Taste and add more salt and pepper if required.
- Serve – serve the salad on a bed of mixed lettuce leaves with the reserved parsley sprinkled on top.
Storage instructions
Eat immediately or store the salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two days.
Beetroot Feta and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large cooked beetroot, cut into small chunks
- 80 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 250 g cooked quinoa, cooled
- 120 g canned chickpeas, drained
- 100 g cucumber, chopped into small chunks
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Djon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 2 handfuls mixed lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing – in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad – reserve a tablespoon of the chopped parsley for a garnish. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, chopped cucumber, chopped chives and the remaining parsley.
- Dress the salad and add beetroot – drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Then add the beetroot and toss once more. Try not to over-mix or the beetroot may turn everything purple! Taste and add more salt and pepper if required.
- Serve – serve the salad on a bed of mixed lettuce leaves with the reserved parsley sprinkled on top.
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