Asparagus Chickpea Quinoa Salad | Two Peas & Their Pod

This Asparagus Chickpea Quinoa Salad with feta cheese and a simple lemon vinaigrette is perfect for spring.

It has been raining all week. I hope the saying, “spring showers bring May flowers” is true. It is almost May and I am ready for the rain to stop so we can enjoy the spring flowers and sunshine! Since we couldn’t enjoy being outside this week, I brought spring inside. I made this simple Asparagus Chickpea Quinoa Salad and it definitely made the day brighter. Delicious food always cheers me up:)

I love making quinoa salads because they are healthy, hearty, and delicious. To this quinoa salad, I added roasted asparagus, chickpeas, green onion, feta cheese, and a simple lemon vinaigrette. It is super simple, but super delicious. Sometimes the simple recipes are the best recipes!

The asparagus is the spring star of the salad. I try to eat as much asparagus as I can during the spring months and it is so good in this salad. I also add chickpeas because I like the protein boost. I enjoyed this salad for lunch and it was plenty filling as a meal, but you could serve it as a side dish too. It would be great with chicken, fish, or steak. It would also be a great salad to take on a picnic or to a potluck party.

Bring a little spring into your kitchen and make this easy Asparagus Chickpea Quinoa Salad.

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Asparagus Chickpea Quinoa Salad

This simple quinoa salad with asparagus, chickpeas, and feta can be served as a main dish or side dish. It is a springtime favorite!

Yield: Serves 4-6

Prep Time:10 minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes

Total Time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small bunch asparagus, about 15 spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl or medium jar, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and garlic. Whisk to combine or shake with the jar lid on tight. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
2. Add water, quinoa, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, cook the asparagus. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and fresh lemon juice. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, asparagus, chickpeas, green onion, and feta cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.

Note-if you need the salad to be vegan, you can omit the feta cheese.

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