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.
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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.
Marianne says
This sounds just like the couscous salad (Taboulé) I often make in summer! But I think quinoa has more fiber and so I´ll definitely give it a try! 🙂
For anyone lacking time (as I often do) couscous is a great alternative for a quick meal, as it only needs to be soaked and you can quit the cooking time ... 😉
Lisa says
Thanks for the tip! Quick salads are the best!
Elizabeth D. says
Thank you for this recipe. I've been buying almost this exact salad from a stall in our local farmer's market and I've been dying to make it myself because it's so tasty and healthy. This randomly came up in my Facebook feed today so I can't wait to try to make it myself.
Lisa says
I'm so glad you found us! Let us know how it turns out 🙂
Elizabeth D. says
Sorry to take so long to reply. It turned out great. I just popped back to check the recipe as I haven't made it over the winter but am ready for something lighter like this again and came back to check the recipe before I make it. The version I made was just as good as what I bought so I'm thrilled to be able to make my own.
Denise says
This is the first time I've made quinoa and this recipe was fabulous. I've already bought the ingredients to make it again!
Lisa says
I'm so glad it was a hit! Love healthy salads 🙂
terrance says
When cooking quinoa I use low sodium chicken stock and dry basil to cook the quinoa in. It adds great flavor to the quinoa.
BethI says
I found a great grain combo at Trader Joes, actually two that my husband doesn't complain too much about eating! The first is a brown rice medley with long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds. It's great just served as a side instead of white rice. The second, which I really love, is called Harvest Grains Blend. It has a combo of Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa. It is delish served hot (cooked in chicken broth) with a good addition of fresh parmesan, or cold as a "pasta" salad. I think it would be great with your greek ingredients.