This Moroccan Quinoa Salad is full of flavor and nutrients. Made with chickpeas, raisins, almonds, and parsley, this dish is a great to way to change it up in the kitchen. And prepared ingredients make it easy to throw together.
Jump to RecipeThis dish was created due to a mostly-full bunch of parsley sitting in my fridge. Not an herb I use very often, but I had just made my Gluten Free Shrimp Scampi and there was plenty of parsley leftover. I’ve also been trying to food prep for the week and quinoa dishes are great to make ahead of time because they hold up pretty well in the fridge, even with dressing.
I love the using all types of food, so I can get a wide range of nutrients from different plants. This Moroccan Quinoa Salad hit the jackpot of plant variety — quinoa, chickpeas, carrots, almonds, raisins, and parsley.
Ingredients
- Quinoa – I have started cooking quinoa in broth with a little salt and I love the extra flavor
- Chickpeas – super easy to buy in a can, drain and rinse before using
- Carrots – bagged matchstick or shredded carrots are so easy to use in recipes like this…I’ll also throw them into ground turkey or beef for extra hidden veg
- Almonds – buying slivered almonds makes life easier, but chopping up some raw or dry roasted almonds is also an option – pistachios also work in this recipe
- Raisins – a subtle sweetness for this recipe, I prefer unsweetened versions – an easy substitute is chopped dates
- Parsley – the key flavor in this dish, usually there is plenty leftover from the bunch and it’s best stored in a jar in the fridge with the stems submerged in water
Tips for Making Moroccan Quinoa Salad
Use prepared ingredients! One of the great things about this dish is that you can just measure and add – no chopping involved. Canned chickpeas, matchstick carrots, and slivered almonds are commonly available in the grocery and a huge time saver.
Quinoa usually does a great job lasting in the fridge, even after you apply the dressing. Make this ahead of time and store in the fridge to enjoy up to four days later!
This dish can be a great side dish, lunch or snack. I like to add some prepared chicken and make it a super easy and flavorful meal!
Moroccan Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa about 1-1½ cups cooked
- 1 cup broth or water
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup matchstick carrots or shredded
- ½ cup almonds chopped or slivered
- ½ cup raisins no sugar added
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 lb cooked chicken breast optional
Honey Lemon Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Prepare quinoa according to package instructions.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine rinsed chickpeas, carrots, almonds, raisins, and parsley.
- Make the Honey Lemon Dressing by adding the ingredients to a small bowl and stirring together.
- Once quinoa is cooked and cooled, add to the mixing bowl followed by the prepared dressing. Gently stir everything together.
- Serve as a side dish or add cooked chicken and enjoy as a meal!
