Easy Arugula Chickpea Quinoa Salad with 3-Ingredient Hummus Dressing is a complete meal. It's high-protein, vegan, healthy, and delicious. Crispy roasted chickpea croutons are gluten-free, and add a delectable crunch.
Prep this salad ahead of time for a quick weeknight dinner. It's also perfect for barbecues, potlucks, picnics, or a packed lunch.
This was inspired by my Edamame Quinoa Salad with Oil-Free Miso Ginger Dressing on this site, as well as this Protein-Packed Quinoa & Kale Salad.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Quinoa is high in protein, and takes just 15 minutes to cook. Use white, red, black, or tri-color quinoa as desired.
- Chickpeas transform this salad into a balanced meal. Roast them beforehand to make crispy croutons, or simply drain and rinse.
- Hummus adds a creamy texture and tons of flavor to the dressing. Use store-bought or homemade.
- Marinated artichoke hearts are a convenient way to add even more flavor to salads, but are optional. Purchase the marinated jarred or canned variety, preferably quartered.
- Baby arugula leaves are perfectly sized so as not to overwhelm this dish with greens! However, most types of salad greens work great.
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Instructions
To make this easy salad in 20 minutes: Start by cooking the quinoa, and roasting the chickpeas (optional), at the same time. Chop the veggies, and make the hummus dressing while the quinoa is cooking. Once everything is ready, mix to combine. You can serve this salad warm, or wait until everything cools before combining.
Add the chickpeas straight from the can (drained and rinsed), or roast them to make crispy gluten-free croutons.
For roasting the chickpeas, you will need olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, chipotle powder, and salt. (See recipe.)
Rub the chickpeas between layers of a kitchen or paper towel to dry them before adding the seasonings and oil.
Roast the chickpeas at 425ºF for 15 minutes. Then change the oven setting to broil, and cook for about 3 minutes more, or until golden brown and crispy.
Mix hummus, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and water for the creamy hummus dressing. Add it to the salad, and toss until fully incorporated.
🥬 Substitutions
- Quinoa - instead of quinoa, use farro, barley, couscous, or rice
- Chickpeas- use white, black, kidney, or pinto beans instead (do not roast)
- Baby arugula- use the same amount of baby kale, baby spinach, or chopped iceberg, romaine, or green lettuce instead
Noodles are also delicious in salads! Try this Peanut Noodle Salad with Chickpeas. For more easy salad dinner ideas, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.
⏱ Storage
Refrigerate any leftover salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Make an extra batch of roasted chickpeas to add to lunches and dinners throughout the week. They are so convenient for adding plant-based protein to almost any meal. Refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
💡 Top tips
Toast the quinoa in the saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown, before adding the broth or water. This adds an extra level of delicious nutty flavor.
Roast the chickpeas on a large rimmed baking dish in a single layer so they cook evenly and get extra crispy.
Pre-cook the quinoa and chickpeas, and cut the veggies ahead of time. This way, assembling the salad with dressing takes just 5 minutes.
Skip the olive oil for roasting the chickpeas, and use a squeeze of lemon juice instead. Or add the chickpeas without roasting. Purchase oil-free hummus or make your own.
Yes, quinoa is naturally gluten-free. However, because quinoa and other gluten-free grains are often grown and harvested with wheat, barley and rye, cross-contamination can occur. Whenever possible, buy quinoa that is labeled as gluten-free. Avoid buying it from bulk bins at the grocery store, since other shoppers might share scoops between the various bins.
Homemade hummus using traditional ingredients such as chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic is naturally gluten-free. However, store-bought hummus may be cross-contaminated or use filler ingredients that are not gluten-free. If there is not a gluten-free label on the packaging, read the ingredients labels thoroughly.
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📖 Recipe
Arugula Chickpea Quinoa Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry quinoa or 1 ½ cups cooked
- 15 ounces chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed
Optional for roasting chickpeas:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
For the salad:
- 1 ½ cups chopped cucumber (about one-half large)
- ½ pint grape or cherry tomatoes quartered (about 1 cup)
- ½ medium red onion small dice (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives chopped
- 6.5 ounces marinated artichoke hearts jarred or canned (quartered)
- 2 ½ cups baby arugula or baby kale or spinach, or chopped iceberg, romaine, or green lettuce
For the hummus dressing:
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons hummus
- 1 ¾ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ¾ teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the packet. Set aside to cool.
- Roast the chickpeas (optional): Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Rub the chickpeas between layers of paper or kitchen towel to dry. Toss them with the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chipotle powder, and salt to taste. Transfer them to a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes. Broil for about 2 minutes more, or until crispy. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: Add the hummus, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice to a medium bowl. Mix well. Add 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water, or as needed until the desired consistency.
- Combine: Transfer the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, artichoke hearts, and arugula to a large bowl. Add the quinoa and chickpeas. Pour in the dressing. Mix well until fully incorporated.
Notes
- Roasting the chickpeas is optional. You can also add them directly from the can (rinsed and drained).
- To make this salad in 20 minutes: Start by cooking the quinoa, and roasting the chickpeas at the same time. Chop the veggies, and make the hummus dressing while the chickpeas are roasting. Once everything is ready, mix to combine.
- For meal-prep: Pre-cook the quinoa and chickpeas, and cut the veggies ahead of time. This way, assembling the salad with dressing takes just 5 minutes.
- For serving: Serve warm, or wait until everything cools before combining.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Anna
This is a great one! I love how arugula adds its taste and makes the salad truly unique.
Nisha Melvani
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great day.
Rose
This was a wonderful weekday lunch! I used a spicy red pepper hummus and it worked super well.
Nisha Melvani
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you.
Madelyn
Love this recipe! It took a bit longer than 20 minutes to make, but I am slow! Everyone loved this!!!
Nisha Melvani
So glad you all enjoyed it. Thank you for leaving a comment. Have a great week.
Neena Chandiramani
This is a wonderful recipe, will enjoy making this shortly. Great ingredients!
Nisha Melvani
I know you will love it!