High-Protein Chickpea Quinoa Salad

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High-Protein Chickpea Quinoa Salad with over 20 grams of protein per serving is healthy, easy, and meal-prep friendly. Made with just 8 ingredients, it's vegan, gluten-free, and perfect for prepping 5 mason jar salads-one for each weekday. Layering the ingredients keeps them fresh longer, making these grab-and-go lunches ideal for work or busy days.

32-ounce salad jar with olive oil, lemon juice, chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, roasted chickpeas, quinoa, hemp seeds, and cilantro.

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🔍 Quick Look: Quinoa Garbanzo Bean Salad
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🥒 Substitutions
📝 How to Make Garbanzo Quinoa Salad
✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
🫙 More Protein Salad Recipes
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽 More High-Protein Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
High-Protein Chickpea Quinoa Salad Recipe
🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
💬 Comments

🔍 Quick Look: Quinoa Garbanzo Bean Salad

⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🎛️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
👥 Servings: 5
📊 Calories: ~469 kcal (based on nutrition panel)
👩🏽‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Fresh, bright, and zesty with hearty chickpeas, fluffy quinoa, crisp vegetables, creamy hemp seeds, and a vibrant lemon dressing.
💪🏼 Nutrition: 21 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, about 40% of the Daily Value for magnesium, 35% for iron, and 30% for zinc.
⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Mix, layer, and refrigerate-no special equipment or advanced cooking skills required.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.

Olive oil in jar, chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, cilantro, roasted chickpeas, and quinoa, in white bowls, and a lemon.

Chickpeas: The main source of plant protein and fiber in this salad. Use canned chickpeas for convenience, or cook your own from dried.
Quinoa: Adds protein, fiber, and a light, fluffy texture. Rinse well before cooking to remove any bitterness.
Hemp seeds: Boost the protein content while adding healthy fats and a subtle nutty flavor. They also provide iron, magnesium, and zinc.
English cucumber: Stays crisp in the jars and has fewer seeds than regular cucumbers, making it ideal for meal prep.
Roma tomatoes: Firm and less watery than many other tomatoes, so they hold up well in the refrigerator.
Red onion: Adds crunch and a mild bite. If you prefer a milder flavor, soak the diced onion in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well.
Fresh cilantro: Brings freshness and bright flavor. Substitute fresh parsley if you're not a fan of cilantro.
Fresh lemon juice: Brightens the salad and helps keep the vegetables tasting fresh throughout the week.
Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds richness and helps carry the flavors of the lemon and seasonings.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🥒 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

Cucumber - instead of cucumber, you can use chopped bell pepper
Chickpeas - add edamame instead of chickpeas
Red onion - skip the red onion and add two minced garlic cloves to the olive oil instead (use a garlic press for best results)
Hemp seeds - Hemp hearts add about 5 grams of protein per jar. You can omit them or substitute sunflower seeds or pepitas.
Quinoa - Instead of quinoa, you can use wild rice (gluten-free). Or substitute with farro, orzo, couscous, or barley, but the salad will no longer be gluten-free.
Cilantro - substitute with your choice of fresh chopped herbs (parsley, mint)

📝 How to Make Garbanzo Quinoa Salad

This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.

The optional steps aren't essential, but they make this salad even more flavorful.

Start by cooking the quinoa according to the directions on the packet. Use vegetable broth instead of water for even more flavor.

Cooked chickpeas drying between layers of a striped kitchen towel.

Optional: Rub the chickpeas between layers of a kitchen or paper towel to dry. Rub them to remove the skins, if time permits. Toss with olive oil. paprika, garlic powder, and salt.

Seasoned crispy roasted chickpeas on a stainless steel rimmed baking tray.

Optional: Roast the chickpeas at 425ºF for 15 minutes. Broil them for about 3 minutes more, or until golden brown and crispy.

Salted chopped tomatoes in a white colander, chopped cucumber and salt in a white bowls, and one bunch cilantro, on white marble.

Optional: Transfer the chopped tomatoes to a strainer. Add a generous dash of salt and toss until evenly coated. Set aside to drain. Toss the tomatoes to remove excess liquid.

Adding roasted chickpeas to three 32-ounce salad jars with olive oil, lemon juice, chopped cucumber, tomato, and red onion.

Add olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, quinoa, hemp seeds, and cilantro to the mason jars. (See recipe card for quantities.) Or add the ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine.

Chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, roasted chickpeas, quinoa, high-protein hemp seeds, and cilantro salad in a white bowl with an olive-oil lemon juice dressing.

Simply invert the chickpea quinoa salad jars over a bowl and mix well for serving.

✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips

For the jars, refrigerate them lid-side up for up to 5 days. Because there is no lettuce, and the dressing is on the bottom, they will not become mushy. Invert the jars into a bowl and mix well for serving.

Skipping the jars? Refrigerate the mixed High-Protein Chickpea Quinoa Salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

🫙 More Protein Salad Recipes

Your multivitamin, but in a bowl! This Creamy High-Protein Bean and Barley Salad is made almost entirely with pantry staples, making it an easy recipe to throw together any time.

Try my High-Protein, Cholesterol-Lowering White Bean Barley Salad. It's is packed with protein, fiber, fresh herbs, peas, and a smoky artichoke dressing.

This High-Protein, Easy Lentil Quinoa Salad delivers the perfect balance of plant protein, fiber, and longevity-promoting nutrients all in one colorful bowl.

This no-lettuce, protein-rich, and veggie-packed Lentil Vegan Salad is perfect for meal prep.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What is the best size Mason jar for a salad?

If you plan on serving a salad as a main dish, use 24-ounce jars. This size jar serves at least one person. For side salads, use 16-ounce jars instead.

How do you layer a Mason jar salad?

Add the ingredients in the following order: dressing, hearty vegetables, beans and less hearty veggies, pasta and grains, tofu or tempeh, lettuce, nuts & seeds, fresh herbs.

What are hemp seeds?

Hemp seeds are small, brown seeds from the Cannabis sativa plant. They have a mild nutty flavor, and are exceptionally rich in omega-3 and -6. (Hemp hearts are the hulled version of the seeds.) They have 10 grams of protein per 3 tablespoon serving. However, they can be pricey so feel free to substitute with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or omit entirely.