Filled with protein and made with pantry staples, this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is a tasty light lunch or perfect side dish to any meal!
I'm always trying to get more whole grains into our regular menu rotation and this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad has become a family favorite! I'm lucky that my family loves olives and will eat them in anything.
But really, who wouldn't love a quinoa salad filled with red onion, red pepper, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese? The fact I can make it ahead of time is just the icing on the cake.
This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad has so many great flavors in one bite and is finished off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and cilantro....Delish! Quinoa itself doesn't have much flavor; it's what you put with it that gives it the flavor.
I've found that letting the quinoa cool to room temperature and then adding the red wine vinegar and olive oil before all of the other ingredients really lets the flavors seep into the quinoa.
A flavorful quinoa salad can't be beaten. Serve it for lunch, as a side with dinner or as a quick after-school snack. It keeps well in the fridge and can be eaten at room temperature or cold. All great options when trying to please a family.
Looking for more side dish and salad ideas? Follow us on Pinterest!
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You can never have too many BBQ side dishes! Check out some of our other favorites!
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Recipe
Greek Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
- ½ cup chopped kalamata olives
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Bring quinoa and water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed in quinoa. Fluff with a fork and cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the oil and vinegar and let quinoa come to room temperature.
- Add onion, tomatoes, pepper, olives, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Stir gently. Add feta cheese and gently combine. Chill for 2 hours to let flavors combine. Squeeze lemon juice over salad right before serving to brighten flavors.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Annie says
This recipe looks delicious! We just got a rice cooker (which makes cooking quinoa easy, too!) and I am in search of a nice quinoa salad recipe. I'm definitely going to try yours! Beautiful photos, too. 🙂
Lisa says
Hi Annie! How fun to have a rice cooker-this salad is even better the next day! So happy you like the pictures 🙂
dawn says
This was great!
Lisa says
Thanks, Dawn!
Katie says
I made this for dinner last night, and it was amazing! So easy and delicious. Can't wait to make it again for summer picnics/bbq's, and impress family and friends.
Lisa says
Hi Katie, Thanks! Glad you liked it. It is even better the next day! Enjoy!
Lauren says
This looks delicious! I'm a huge fan of Greek flavors and ingredients, so this is right up my alley. I'll definitely be making this for my family! 🙂
Lisa says
Aren't Greek flavors amazing? I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine. 🙂
S. @ The Captivating Life says
I love quinoa. I recently made a quinoa salad but this version looks even tastier. I am so impressed with your blog. The recipes are amazing, as is the photography. I literally read through the whole thing tonight! Keep up the great work!
Lisa says
Wow, what a compliment! Thanks so much for your kind feedback! I'm so happy you found us!