Quinoa Artichoke Salad with Herby Dressing

White bowl with quinoa artichoke salad and a black-handled gold fork.

5 from 2 votes

Quinoa Artichoke Salad with Herby Dressing

This light and spring-inspired artichoke salad features a blend of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein, and works well as a light lunch or dinner side salad.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 498kcal

Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa *or cook the quinoa based on your desired method
2 cups water or vegetable broth *or cook the quinoa based on your desired method
¼ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
12 ounce jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts
1 medium cucumber
¼ large red onion
1 medium lemon
15 ounce can chickpeas drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 cup crumbled feta
¼ cup sliced almonds

Herby Yogurt Dressing

5 ounce container plain Greek yogurt ~heaping ½ cup
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley roughly ¼ cup
2 sprigs fresh dill
1 stalk green onion
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons honey adjust to taste
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1-4 tablespoons water as needed

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Typically, this is done by combining the 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high to high heat. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. The quinoa is ready when the liquid is fully absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Drain excess liquid as needed.
Meanwhile, drain the artichoke hearts. If you prefer smaller pieces of artichoke, roughly chop the artichokes now. Slice the cucumber into thin half-moons. Thinly slice ¼ of a large red onion. Set aside.
To make the dressing, combine the yogurt, parsley, dill, green onion, garlic, white wine vinegar, olive oil, 1 teaspoon honey, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin to a smooth, pourable consistency. I typically use 2 tablespoons of water.
Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large serving bowl. Add the juice and zest of the lemon, the drained artichoke hearts, cucumber, red onion, drained chickpeas, feta, almonds, and half the dressing. Toss to combine.
Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least an hour. Just before serving, add the remaining dressing. The salad can be eaten immediately but I think it's best chilled. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Also works well with rice, farro, or couscous in place of quinoa.
To make dairy-free, use an equal amount of vegan feta (such as Follow Your Heart brand) and plain coconut yogurt. Vegan mayonnaise also works but tends to be sweeter than plain yogurt, so I recommend adding honey to taste.
Make in advance: The dressing can be made up to 24-72 hours in advance. Note that it thickens up as it chills. Just give it a few stirs and it should return to a pourable consistency. If not, add 1 tablespoon water at a time to thin.
The quinoa can also be cooked in advance. Keep refrigerated in a closed container for 48-72 hours before assembling the salad.
Storage: Best within 3-4 days. If preparing the salad in advance, I recommend adding half of the dressing before refrigerating and half just before serving.

Nutrition