Italian Quinoa Salad has all the fresh and zesty flavors of an Italian Chopped Salad, but swaps lettuce for protein and nutrient-rich quinoa instead. Serve this easy, gluten free dish as a hearty lunch, or gorgeous side dish with dinner tonight.
If you’ve ever had a chopped salad, where every ingredient is chopped to be the same size, then you know what an absolute pleasure they are to eat.
No face-whipping-sized pieces of lettuce flicking dressing all over your face, getting a taste of everything in each bite, easy to scoop vs stab – the list goes on and on!
Well Italian Quinoa Salad upgrades the classic Italian Chopped Salad from luscious to legendary by swapping lettuce for nutrient and plant-based-protein-rich quinoa instead. This lettuce-less salad is a must-try!
What’s Inside
Cooked quinoa joins a plethora of zesty, crunchy, fresh, and briny toppings in this epic salad recipe where everything is chopped to be the same size then drizzled with a tangy, homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette.
This healthy quinoa salad recipe is perfect as a filling lunch, or sidecar to dinner – especially next to anything grilled. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need:
For the Salad:
- Quinoa: is naturally gluten free and a good source of fiber, plant-based protein, magnesium, and more.
- Chickpeas: bulk up the salad with heartiness and creaminess
- Fresh herbs and vegetables: tomatoes, English cucumber, red onion, and parsley bring color, crunch, and freshness.
- Feta cheese: melts with the dressing to provide creaminess and tanginess.
- Peperoncini or banana pepper rings: bring a briny crunch.
- Olives: choose from black, kalamata, or Italian green olives for color and flavor.
- Pepperoni: you can’t have an Italian salad without cured meat, and my favorite for this quinoa chickpea salad recipe is quartered pepperoni.
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette:
- Extra virgin olive oil: is the base of the vinaigrette.
- Red Wine Vinegar: brings the pucker!
- Sugar: to balance the tanginess of the vinegar.
- Dijon mustard: helps emulsify the dressing.
- Dried herbs and seasonings: dried oregano and basil leaves, garlic and onion powders, plus salt and pepper flavor the dressing.
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How to Serve Italian Quinoa Salad
If you’ve made my viral Jennifer Aniston Salad then you know how filling the combination of quinoa, chickpeas, plus fresh herbs and vegetables can be.
This salad is as satisfying as a pasta salad, but made with quinoa which, nutritionally blows pasta out of the water, plus it holds up to being refrigerated after cooking unlike gluten free pasta or rice.
- Serve as lunch: I like to make a batch of Italian Quinoa Salad on the weekend to keep in the refrigerator for ready-made lunches all week long. Add an extra drizzle of vinaigrette to your bowl before digging then pair with an apple or whatever hand fruit is in season.
- Serve as a side: this salad jazzes up any dinner, especially Baked Chicken Thighs, Air Fried or Baked Chicken Breasts, or simply serve with a loaf or two of fresh Gluten Free Focaccia.
Make it Your Own
Italian Quinoa Salad is an incredibly easy recipe to adapt and make your own. Here are some ideas!
- Fresh herb swap: add or swap in fresh basil for part of the parsley (fresh basil is more pungent than parsley, so use a little less if fully swapping for parsley).
- Meat swap: use chopped thick-sliced salami or ham instead of pepperoni. Or, leave it out for a vegetarian salad.
- Cheese swap: use fresh mozzarella pearls or shredded parmesan cheese instead of feta.
- Dressing swap: use your favorite store-bought Red Wine Vinaigrette, or Classic Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing instead of making your own.
- Add more veggies: chopped roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, or sliced hearts of palm would be delicious in here!
Try the Jennifer Aniston Salad
How to Make Italian Quinoa Salad
Step 1: Cook the quinoa
Start by adding dry quinoa to boiling chicken stock or broth in a small saucepan. Place a lid on top then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender.
Fluff with a fork then let the quinoa cool slightly. Lastly, scoop the quinoa into a storage container with a lid then refrigerate until completely chilled.
Quinoa Cooking Tip
Cook then chill the quinoa up to 2 days ahead of time so that it’s ready to mix with the other salad ingredients when you’re ready to eat.
Step 2: Combine the remaining salad ingredients
While the quinoa is chilling, chop the fresh salad ingredients then add them to a large mixing bowl with the chickpeas, pepperoni, crumbled feta cheese, olives, and banana peppers or peperoncini.
Peperoncini vs Banana Peppers
Technically peperoncini and banana peppers are different peppers – for the purpose of using in this recipe though, either can be used! I like Mezzetta brand for both types of pickled peppers.
Step 3: Dress the salad then serve
Last step is to shake up the super simple homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette then drizzle your desired amount over the salad, toss to combine, and serve!
Whether you plan ahead to make this fresh and zesty Italian Quinoa Salad for lunches this week, or as a side dish to steal the show at dinnertime, I hope you love every last bite – enjoy!
More Fresh and Hearty Salad Recipes
For the Salad:
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup dry quinoa, pre-rinsed
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 Roma or 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded then chopped
- 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup banana pepper or peperoncini rings, chopped, Mezzetta recommended
- 1/3 cup black, kalamata, or Italian green olives, sliced
- 2 oz pepperoni, quartered, Applegate Farms recommended
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced or minced
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette:
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette:
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Add the ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid, or a small bowl, then shake or whisk to combine and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made several days ahead of time.
For the Salad:
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Add the chicken stock or broth to a small saucepan over high heat then bring to a boil. Add the quinoa then turn the heat down to low, place a lid on top, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork then scoop into a storage container or large mixing bowl to cool slightly. Once cool, cover then refrigerate until chilled. Alternatively, you can spread the cooked quinoa onto a plate then refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill it. Quinoa can be cooked a day or two ahead of time.
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Add the chilled quinoa to a large mixing bowl then add the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette (you do not need to use all if you don’t want to!) then toss to combine and serve. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Be sure to purchase quinoa that’s labeled “pre-rinsed”. I like Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa.
- The quinoa is best cooked a day ahead of time so it’s chilled and ready to be mixed with the rest of the salad ingredients on the day you want to eat.
- Estimated nutritional information includes the entire Red Wine Vinaigrette recipe.
Calories: 413kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 553mg, Potassium: 413mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 609IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 101mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
