Cold Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Chickpeas and Feta
This cold quinoa salad brings together wholesome quinoa, protein-packed chickpeas, and fresh, flavorful asparagus. It’s a versatile dish that works well as a light lunch, a hearty side, or a meal on its own. Tossed with a simple vinaigrette, it’s a perfect balance of refreshing and filling.
Need more fresh, healthy salads? Try this arugula quinoa salad with chicken and beets, this cold asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette, and the viral Jennifer Aniston salad! Need more??? Here are 36+ heathy salad ideas!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this cold quinoa salad:
For the simple quinoa salad dressing:
For the salad:
Ingredient Notes, Substitutions & Additions
Quinoa: You can buy dry quinoa or purchase premade quinoa in microwave packets. Dry quinoa can be microwaved or cooked on the stove while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Pecans: Toasted walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds can be subbed for some crunch!
Veggie additions: You can enhance the salad by adding roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, or diced avocado.
Sweetness: Add dried cranberries, or pomegranate seeds for a touch of sweetness.
Protein: Grilled chicken, shrimp, or hard-boiled eggs work well as additional protein options.
How to make cold quinoa salad: Step by step
Expert Tips
- Steamed asparagus: I personally love the crisp asparagus in this salad but if you prefer, you can steam the asparagus for 2-3 minutes until crisp tender. Then cool, and add the the salad.
- Customize: The reason it’s so great to make salads at home is you can customize them however you like! Add more or less of any ingredient or try some of the additions suggested above to make your perfect salad.
- Make-ahead tip: This salad can be made the night before. I typically don’t like to make it too far in advance because the cucumbers release a lot of water and dilute the dressing. One day ahead is fine!
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers are good for 2-3 days, just remember the cucumbers will release moisture the longer it sits.
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Thank you! ~ Casey
Cold Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Chickpeas and Feta
Ingredients
For the simple quinoa salad dressing
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or any light oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp coarse salt (sea salt, kosher salt) to taste
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the sald
- 2 cups chickpeas garbanzo beans
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa about 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup asparagus, chopped make sure you remove the woody bottom portion and just use the tender tops (see Note 1)
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled goat cheese also works well
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prep: Cook quinoa according to package directions. Cool.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, add the vinaigrette ingredients. Mix until fully combined. If you have one on hand, I like using a small mason jar to mix all of the ingredients.
- Assemble: To a large bowl add the salad ingredients, including the cooked quinoa. Toss with the dressing until combined. Serve at room temperature or chill for 2-3 hours.
This is the perfect healthy salad for spring! I love it to detox after the holidays! 🙂 XO ~ Casey