The perfect hearty meal with wholesome grains and seasonal ingredients with an amazing lemon tahini dressing to pull it all together. This Quinoa Pomegranate Feta Salad screams winter flavours with crispy roasted chickpeas, toasted almonds.
I love making a batch of this quinoa salad to have easy side dishes or a quick lunch. The quintessential winter pomegranate seeds really make me embrace the colder season (food really does make cold weather better)!
Ingredients in Quinoa Pomegranate Feta Salad:
- quinoa
- almonds
- 19 oz can chickpeas
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 pomegranate (or 1 cup of pomegranate arils)
- red onion
- avocado
- fresh parsley leaves
- feta cheese *Omit if vegan/dairy-free
Ingredients in Lemon Tahini Dressing :
- tahini
- lemon juice
- salt & pepper
- water
How to Make Quinoa Pomegranate Feta Salad
- Start by cooking the quinoa according to package directions. Set aide to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set aside 2 baking sheets.
- Pour the drained and rinsed chickpeas onto a clean kitchen towel. Place another kitchen towel over top and pat dry. Discard any skins that come off in this process and place the chickpeas on one of the baking sheets. Place the almonds on the 2nd baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, until the almonds are toasted and fragrant and the chickpeas start to look like they are drying out.
- Remove them both from the oven. Set the almonds aside allowing them to cool right on the tray. Once cooled, roughly chop them.
- Stir the chickpeas around on the hot pan for about 30 seconds to release the steam. Add the olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and mix to coat the chickpeas. Bake for another 23-25 minutes until crispy. Set aside to cool.
- While the chickpeas cook, construct the rest of the salad. In a medium bowl mix together the cooled quinoa, pomegranate seeds, diced onion, avocado, parsley and feta cheese and chopped almonds. Once the chickpeas are cooled, add them in as well.
- Whisk the lemon tahini dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix about half into the salad reserving the remainder to drizzle on top just before eating.
It’s good for you!
This quinoa salad recipe packs in plant based protein from both the quinoa and the roasted chickpeas. It also has lots of good for you fats and fibre from the pomegranate, almonds and tahini! Protein & fibre are the ultimate combo to keep you full and satisfied.
Serving suggestions and swaps:
Serves about 4 for a main meal, more if served as a side dish. Cover and store refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Omit the feta cheese if vegan or dairy-free. If not vegetarian, this salad would pair nicely with grilled chicken if you wanted something extra on the side.
Feel free to personalize this dish to what you have around the house. You could swap the pomegranate seeds for fresh berries, feta for goat cheese, use your favourite nuts instead of almonds! Let me know if you get creative by leaving a star rating and comment below!
Check out some other great lunch bowl recipes on my blog.
Don’t forget to leave a star rating and review. Enjoy!
Quinoa Pomegranate Feta Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Quinoa Salad
- 2/3 cup quinoa, uncooked
- One 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch salt & pepper
- 1 pomegranate, deseeded About 1 cup of seeds
- 1/2 cup diced red onion (about 1/4 of a large onion)
- 1 small avocado, diced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2-3 oz feta cheese, crumbled *Omit if vegan/dairy-free.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Pinch freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 5-6 tbsp cold water more to desired consistency
Instructions
Quinoa, Roasted Chickpeas & Almonds
- Cook the quinoa in a medium pot according to package directions. Set aide to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set aside 2 baking sheets (no oil or parchment paper needed).
- Pour the drained and rinsed chickpeas onto a clean kitchen towel (or paper towel). Place another towel over top and pat dry. Discard any skins that come off in this process and place the chickpeas on one of the baking sheets. Place the almonds on the other baking sheet.Bake for 7 minutes until the almonds are toasted and fragrant and the chickpeas start to look like they are drying out.
- Remove from the oven and set the almonds aside allowing them to cool right on the tray. Once cooled, roughly chop them. Stir the chickpeas around on the hot pan for about 30 seconds to release the steam. Add the olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and mix to coat the chickpeas.Bake the chickpeas for another 23-25 minutes until crispy. Set aside to cool.
Other
- While the chickpeas cook, construct the rest of the salad. In a medium bowl mix together the cooled quinoa, pomegranate seeds, diced onion, avocado, parsley and feta cheese. Once the chickpeas and almonds are cooled, add them in as well.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. If you prefer a thinner texture, add more water 1 tbsp at time until your desired consistency is reached.
- Mix about half of the dressing into the salad, saving the remainder to drizzle over just before eating. Serve immediately or chilled.
- Leave a star rating and review if you try out this recipe, I'd love to know what you think!
Notes
- Feel free to omit the feta cheese if vegan or dairy-free.
- This salad would pair nicely with grilled chicken or tofu if serving as a main dish.
- Serves about 4 for a main meal, more if served as a side dish. Enjoy!
This is fantastic. love all the flavors.
So glad you liked it!