This vegetarian spin on a classic Italian salad gets a boost of protein from chickpeas and quinoa, plenty of crunch from celery, bell pepper, and cucumber, and tons of flavor from a garlicky oregano vinaigrette. You’ll store the salad base, greens, and extra dressing separately so everything stays crisp and fresh, then mix everything together right before serving.
I’ve officially replaced all my plastic storage containers with glass, and it’s made a huge difference in how long meal-prep salads stay fresh. These are my favorite containers for storing big-batch salads all week long.
more of my favorite vegetarian salads
- spring halloumi salad with snap peas and strawberries
- olive bar pasta salad
- smashed feta spring salad
- spring taco salad
Ingredients
for the dressing:
- 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly-ground black pepper
for the salad:
- 1/2 cup red, white, or tricolor quinoa, rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 2 large or 4 small stalks celery, diced
- 2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, diced
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced
- 1/2 to 1 cup briny thing, such as kalamata olives, castelvetrano olives, pepperoncinis, and/or peppadew peppers, chopped
- 4 ounces diced provolone cheese or torn marinated mozzarella balls
- 1 romaine lettuce heart
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: Add the rinsed quinoa to a medium pot set over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the water has evaporated and the quinoa smells toasty, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is just tender (it should still have a slight bite), 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing: Meanwhile, to a large bowl, add the garlic, Dijon, oregano, oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds black pepper. Whisk to combine and season with more salt to taste. Pour half into an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Assemble the salad base: To the remaining dressing in the large bowl, add the chickpeas, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, onion, briny thing, cheese, and the cooled quinoa. Stir to coat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Prep the greens: Core and chop the lettuce crosswise into thin strips. Store separately from the salad base.
- Serve: When you're ready to eat, add a handful of greens and a scoop of the salad base to a bowl. Drizzle with a little of the reserved dressing.
Inspired by my italian salad recipe for the kitchn.
