Moroccan Quinoa Salad

This protein rich Moroccan Quinoa Salad is packed with amazing flavors and so easy to make. Naturally vegan, gluten free, and dairy free.

I’m always on board with Moroccan inspired food. It’s packed with delicious flavors from the Mediterranean.

What I love is how versatile it is. You can make soups like my Moroccan Chickpea Lentil Soup (Harira) or  comfort food like the Moroccan Chickpea Lentil Potato Casserole.

There isn’t anything one cannot do with these flavors.

This Moroccan Quinoa Salad is one great addition to this list.

Just imagine the sensation in your mouth munching on a big bowl of this.

You know it’s hearty, flavorful, protein rich, creamy, filling, versatile, perfect for meal prep and work lunch, summer adventures, potlucks and so much more.

How to make Moroccan Quinoa Salad

First start with cooking your quinoa according to package directions.

The exact times will depend on your used brand. But it will not take longer than 15 minutes. For some brands it is more about 10 minutes.

Note you will need 3 cups water for 1 cup uncooked quinoa.

In a small bowl, combine hummus, minced garlic, Harissa and the optional Ras El Hanout. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix well with a spatula or go fancy in a blender.

Next and last is assembling your salad.

Combine cooked quinoa, chickpeas, roasted red peppers, and the optional add ons, such as cooked lentils, raisins or cranberries in a bowl.

Mix with the Hummus dressing, enjoy straight from the bowl or divide onto plates.

My Moroccan Quinoa Salad makes an amazing and fast dairy free and plant based lunch, dinner. It is also absolutely delicious for picnics and potlucks.

You see, I used roasted red peppers here and optional cooked lentils for a bit more texture and protein. Let’s do the basics together.

How to roast red peppers

You can do that really easy and use some from a store bought jar. Or you make them fresh.

On a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper, place a red pepper. Put into the oven for around 20 minutes at 415°F and roast.

After roasting, let it cool a bit. Remove the core and peel the skin off if you wish and cut into small cubes.

How to cook lentils

If you use the optional lentils you can also used canned ones.

If you prefer to cook them yourselves, I suggest you use some you don’t need to soak for hours.

To make them, heat a small pot. Use 1/4 cup uncooked lentils and 1 cup water. Cook them for around 15 minutes.

How to make Ras El Hanout

Using Ras El Hanout spices is totally optional but a seriously delicious option. See if you can buy it from a store. Or try online.

To prepare your own homemade version, go ahead and combine:

a bit of cumin, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, a pinch salt and pepper. You are ready to go.

Note: I would say start with 1 tsp of each of the spices and add 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.

You can always add more from there or play a bit around with the spices to your own liking.

More cumin, less ginger, and so on.

If you give this Moroccan Quinoa Salad a try give me a tag on Instagram and Facebook with a picture.

Cheers, Florian.

Moroccan Quinoa Salad

• Author: Contentedness Cooking
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Dinner, Lunch, Salad
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Vegan, Moroccan

Print

Pin

---

Description

This protein rich Moroccan Quinoa Salad is packed with amazing flavors and so easy to make. Naturally vegan, gluten free, and dairy free.

---

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1 cup chickpeas, cooked
• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup hummus
• 2 Tbs Harissa
• 1/4 cup water
• salt, pepper to taste

Optional add ons

• 1/2 cup cooked lentils
• 1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
• 4 tsp Ras El Hanout

---

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
2. In a small bowl, combine hummus, minced garlic, Harissa and the optional Ras El Hanout. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well with a spatula or go fancy in a blender.
3. Combine cooked quinoa, chickpeas, roasted red peppers, and the optional add ons, such as cooked lentils, raisins or cranberries in a bowl. Mix with the Hummus dressing, enjoy straight from the bowl or divide onto plates.

---

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 cups
• Calories: 390
• Sugar: 3
• Sodium: 513
• Fat: 10
• Saturated Fat: 1
• Unsaturated Fat: 8
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 62
• Fiber: 10
• Protein: 14
• Cholesterol: 0