This hearty grain salad is loaded with vegetables, protein and sweet dried fruit. It’s a great side or light lunch any day of the week!
I love coming up with variations of quinoa salad for lunch, and this Moroccan Quinoa Power Salad is hands-down my new favorite! It’s loaded with so many nutritious things, and is the perfect combination of savory and sweet.
It keeps for several days in the refrigerator too, so I love making a big batch and eating it throughout the week.
I just made this and put it in the fridge. Before I did that I had a little taste and yummy! A definite go to for lunch or dinner on a hot day. ~ Kandis
Whether you’re having lunch at home, or looking for something healthy to take into the office, this salad has everything you need.
This salad is also a wonderful side dish for things like grilled chicken or seafood. And it’s easily adaptable to use whatever veggies, nuts, and beans you have handy.
You could even add chicken or shrimp for a complete, hearty dinner. It would be a perfect summer meal on those warm days where you don’t want to turn on the oven.
A few tips for making quinoa salads. I like to use a little less water than called for when cooking my quinoa. That way it doesn’t end up mushy when I add it to my salad.
And toasting the quinoa beforehand adds such a great nutty flavor. It only takes a few minutes and it’s totally worth it!
I make this salad almost weekly. Thank you! My sister shared it with me. In a rush, I just use kale sans broccoli and quinoa ~ Nicole
I like to make sure I always include a little something sweet, like dried cranberries or raisins, as well as something salty, like sunflower seeds, peanuts or toasted pumpkin seeds (my personal favorite.)
And for some reason, it just tastes better when all the herbs and veggies are chopped super fine. Not a requirement by any means, but you’d be surprised at what a difference it makes.
Either way, I hope you love this Moroccan Quinoa Power Salad as much as I do!
Be sure to save this Moroccan Quinoa Power Salad recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Moroccan Quinoa Power Salad
- Olive oil
- Quinoa
- Produce: carrots, green onions, kale, broccoli, fresh parsley, garlic
- Chickpeas
- Dried cranberries
- Golden raisins
- Pumpkin seeds
- Lemon juice
- Spices: cumin, salt and pepper, chili powder
- Honey
Moroccan Quinoa Power Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots chopped
- 2-3 green onions chopped
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped kale
- 3/4 cup finely chopped broccoli
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add quinoa and toast until golden, 3-5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water to quinoa and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 10-15 minutes until quinoa is just tender and has absorbed the water. Rinse with cool water and drain. Cool completely.
- Add carrots, green onions, chickpeas, kale, broccoli, and parsley and toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over quinoa and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir in cranberries, raisins and pumpkin seeds just before serving.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Little Spice Jar
8 comments
Laila
What makes this a ‘Moroccan’ Quinoa Salad?
Nadia
Very good, used 1.5 teaspoons of each one of the spices and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice since we like strong flavors. Used paprika instead of chili powder.
I soak quinoa for 30 minutos to get rid of the sap and cook it like rice using about 1/3 cup less of the water. Doing so will leave you with a chewy quinoa instead of a mushy one.
RoseAnn
Made this quinoa salad to accompany salmon filets and it was terrific. I saved this recipe to make again . I did not have raisins or cranberries but used chopped dates . Out of kale but used chopped spinach. The dressing was right on flavors and spice . Thank you
Nicole Lyons
I make this salad almost weekly. Thank you! My sister shared it with me. In a rush, I just use kale sans broccoli and quinoa
Trish
I set everything quinoa aside with the water and it did not absorb the water so I kept the lid in and cooked it on low for 15 minutes. I’ll see how it goes from here.
Should the quinoa have absorbed the water?
Dena
Do you have an option that eliminates the oil?
Danelle
I don’t…..sorry.
Kandis
I just made this and put it in the fridge. Before I did that I had a Lil taste and mmmm, yummy!
A definite go to for lunch or dinner on a hot day.
Thanks!