Need a tasty, nutritious meal that’s ready in a flash? This easy quinoa slaw bowl is loaded with healthy ingredients and uses the click of a microwave button to deliver a warm, satisfying dish in a matter of minutes. Hearty chickpeas, crunchy cabbage, sweet peas, and juicy tomatoes are tossed together with quinoa and drizzled in tangy lemon juice. Add a few cracks of black pepper and you have the perfect lunch for days when you want to keep cooking to a minimum! This flexible dish tastes great served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Tip: Look for cooked quinoa in shelf-stable pouches or in the freezer aisle. If you’re starting with dry quinoa, in a microwave-safe bowl combine ½ cup quinoa and ¾ cup water. Cover and microwave 9 to 12 minutes. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa. (While cooking, some water may spill over in microwave.)

By Darshana Thacker Wendel,

Ingredients

  • 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2½ cups shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Instructions

  • In a microwave-safe bowl combine ½ cup of the chickpeas, the lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons water. Mash mixture into a coarse paste. Add coleslaw mix and peas; mix well. Microwave 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
  • Stir in the remaining chickpeas, the cooked quinoa, and the cherry tomatoes. Season with additional salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Comments (32)

(5 from 16 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Mary Todd

It looks good. I cannot wait to try it.

Eva

Why you use microwaves when they r toxic..? :o

Noelle

Great recipe, my husband even liked it. As for the "microwave" issue, ridiculous! I used it and have used a microwave for years, 61 years old and still going strong. Keep up the great recipes!

Sue

I made thus a added a touch of white wine vinegar for a-bit tang, took it to a pool party and people liked it as well. I’ll make it again.

Varun Sharma

The ingredients don’t come together. Just like someone else said, it was bland. I threw out the entire bowl after trying to eat 3-4 spoons.

Cassie Dehmer

I dont like to pick on anyone and try to treat others the way I want to be treated. That said, there is absolutely no reason to throw out food unless it is rotten. If it is bland add spices to your liking or vinegar of some kind, garlic and herbs or fresh citrus juice squeezed over it..there are so many options to suit anyone’s taste and to personalize a dish - wasting it by throwing it out without trying some way to make it more palatable seems to be a lost opportunity to explore flavors you may learn to love.

Sue Ruth

I didn’t have a lot of time, so used left-over cooked wild rice in place of the quinoa. We loved it! Next time I will use the quinoa.

Laura

I found it to be bland so I added red vinegar and some ginger.

Kevin

Awesome recipe, thanks. Easy, fast, tasty, and filling.

MWil

Delicious!!!!! Just made this for lunch. Prepped the quinoa beforehand so it came together quickly when it was time for lunch.

Jamie

I added fire roasted frozen corn. Heated everything to soften the vegetables, the corn is still crunchy. It tastes great!

Jamie

I love this salad / side dish. I added frozen fire roasted corn and heated it like directed. The corn offered a little more crunch! It tastes great!

Trish Ely

I haven’t tried the recipe. I’m diabetic. Fo you have carb counts for your recipes?

Lisa Bradshaw

Would like more kidney friendly recipes please.

Jan B

The ingredients were good, but it would have been much better with raw vegetables only and served cold. I think I will add some parsley or cilantro to brighten the flavor, and roasted chickpeas for a garnish.

Sharon

I made this for lunch today. Quick and easy. Cabbage and tomatoes from the farmer’s market. I did adda bit of maple syrup to the lemon juice mixture to take some of the bite off. We liked it better hot. The microwave made it really easy.

Sam

Just made this for supper. Easy and quick meal. Everything was in the freezer or pantry. Tomatoes were fresh from the garden. Two bowls plus leftovers for two more! Cook once eat twice!

Jules

Microwave will change the molecular structure of milk - warning from the gov! So I believe it can affect all done in microwave

Norma Harris

Don’t use microwave. Too much radiation!!!

Becky

This is delicious, very fresh tasting. I didn’t have any peas so skipped them.

Victoria

Where is the nutritional info?

Debbie Deveau

What is the calories per serving?

Nancy C

Is this to be eaten hot or cold?

Jackie

In the write up before the actual recipe, it says it's good warm, room temperature or chilled! Can't go wrong!

Carol C

The ingredient combination sounds yummy; however, I don't understand why you recommend microwaving since it is not favorable to our health. Cooking on the stovetop will a accomplish the end result---it just might take a few more minutes----but overall health is worth it!

Pam Dowd

Carol…microwaving vegetables is not always a bad thing. In doing research, I found that certain veggies are healthier when microwaved and I was surprised. However, if I prefer cooking stovetop, I just do.

vasanti

Please let me know why microwaving is not healthy.

Shari

Hi! This sounds like a good lunch for work. What would be a good serving size? I usually bring a cup of rice and a cup of vegetables, so should I plan on tow cups per serving? Thanks

Alan

Serving size ??? Ever how much you want to eat of it.

Kevin

I would do two cups of this, plus another cup of something else. Plus some raw veggies for a snack

Sally

While the recipe states "green peas", the write up says "sweet peas", please note that the seeds from the sweet peas grown in the flower garden are toxic and not the same as garden green peas.

Dianne

It states green peas in the ingredients. If you read the sentence where it states sweet peas it states crunchy xxx, hearty xxx, sweet peas, etc. sweet is a descriptor not talking sweet peas the flower (or seed which you would never see in a recipe)

About the Author

Headshot of Darshana Thacker

About the Author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.
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