This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is hearty, wholesome, and full of recent taste! Serve it as a facet dish, or revel in it as a meal by itself.
This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is recent and flavorful. It’s a scrumptious addition to the menu of any potluck, cookout, or picnic. It could simply move as a facet dish, nevertheless it’s so hearty and enjoyable that it may be the principle tournament, too.
And if you happen to occur to have leftovers, you’re in success! This quinoa salad assists in keeping neatly if you are making it forward of time, so it’s an excellent recipe to meal prep for wholesome lunches all through the week.
Over time, I’ve shared plenty of quinoa salad recipes at the weblog, however I’m particularly smitten with this one. Roasted tomatoes, olives, and feta pack it with savory, briny taste, and a straightforward olive oil and lemon dressing makes it great and vibrant. I am hoping you find it irresistible too!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Components
Right here’s what you’ll want to make this Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe:
- Quinoa, in fact! Quinoa chefs like a grain, nevertheless it’s in truth a grain-like seed that hails from South The usa. It’s naturally gluten-free and full of fiber and plant-based protein. To find my approach for cooking it within the callout beneath.
- Roasted tomatoes – Roasted cherry or grape tomatoes upload wealthy, savory taste and chewy texture to this salad. They take a little time to make, so remember to plan forward.
- Persian cucumbers – For crunch.
- Pink onion – For sharp intensity of taste.
- Feta cheese – I really like its creamy texture and tangy taste on this quinoa salad recipe, however be at liberty to skip it if you happen to’re vegan.
- Kalamata olives – I’m an olive convert! For years, I have shyed away from olives, however their briny, salty taste takes this salad to an entire new stage.
- Toasted pine nuts and roasted chickpeas – They upload protein, nutty taste, and plenty of crunch. Tip: Use store-bought roasted chickpeas to avoid wasting your self a prep step.
- Arugula and blended herbs – They make this salad great and recent! I really like to make use of numerous leafy herbs right here, corresponding to mint, parsley, oregano, thyme, and/or basil.
- Italian dressing – Brilliant, tangy, and flecked with (extra) herbs, it ties the entire salad in combination!
To find your entire recipe with measurements beneath.
Find out how to Cook dinner Quinoa
Cooking quinoa is so much like cooking rice:
- Rinse the quinoa in a high-quality mesh strainer to take away its sour herbal coating.
- Position in a medium saucepan with a tightly becoming lid. Upload 1 3/4 cups water for each and every 1 cup of quinoa.
- Carry the water to a boil, then cut back the warmth to low. Duvet and simmer for 12 to fifteen mins, or till the water is absorbed.
- Flip off the warmth and let the quinoa take a seat, lined, for 10 mins to proceed to steam.
Then, fluff with a fork! 1 cup dry quinoa yields 3 cups cooked. For extra quinoa-cooking guidelines, take a look at my information to easy methods to prepare dinner quinoa.
For this recipe, I like to recommend cooking the quinoa forward. It will have to be cool or at room temperature whilst you toss the salad in combination. If it’s nonetheless heat, it’ll wilt the arugula and recent herbs. Cook dinner it no less than an hour and as much as 2 days prior to you collect the salad.
Find out how to Make Quinoa Salad
The primary steps on this quinoa salad recipe are cooking the quinoa and roasting the tomatoes. You’ll prep each as much as 3 days prematurely. Retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge till you’re able to make the salad.
Subsequent, make the dressing. A easy mix of extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and herbs, it’s fast to whisk in combination in a bowl or jar.
Then, toss the salad in combination. In a big bowl, mix the quinoa, veggies, herbs, feta, olives, pine nuts, and part the dressing. Toss to coat prior to including the salt, pepper, and crimson pepper flakes and tossing once more.
Season to style, including extra dressing as desired. Most sensible with the roasted chickpeas and serve!
Recipe Permutations
This wholesome quinoa salad recipe is scrumptious as written, however that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t play with it! Have a laugh customizing it in keeping with what you’re yearning or what you could have available. Listed below are a couple of concepts to get you began:
- Make it vegan. Skip the cheese! Upload a couple of more olives or roasted tomatoes to amp up the savory taste.
- Transfer the grain. As an alternative of quinoa, use farro or Israeli couscous. Observe that the salad will now not be gluten-free.
- Switch the dressing. Change the Italian dressing with Greek salad dressing or lemon French dressing.
- Combine up the veggies. Exchange chopped spinach or massaged kale for the arugula, or skip the vegetables completely. As an alternative, stir in a cup of roasted broccoli, 1/2 cup roasted crimson bell peppers, or a diced avocado.
- Take a shortcut. Change the roasted tomatoes with recent cherry tomatoes, halved, or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.
Let me know what diversifications you take a look at!
What to Serve with Quinoa Salad
Serve this quinoa salad recipe as a facet dish with a summer season dinner. It pairs neatly with vintage cookout fare like veggie burgers, black bean burgers, portobello mushroom burgers, or BBQ jackfruit sandwiches.
It’s additionally a fantastic vegetarian major dish. Spherical out the meal with grilled greens or sautéed yellow squash.
You probably have leftovers, this Mediterranean quinoa salad packs up completely for lunch. For the most efficient taste, shop one of the most recent herbs one after the other and scatter them on proper prior to you consume. I additionally suggest seasoning to style with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and/or an additional squeeze of lemon juice after this salad has spent a couple of days within the refrigerator.
Extra Favourite Hearty Salads
When you love this straightforward, wholesome quinoa salad recipe, take a look at this type of hearty salads subsequent:
Quinoa Salad
Serves 6
This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is wholesome and scrumptious! Full of roasted tomatoes, cucumbers, and recent herbs, it is a best possible meal prep lunch or dinner aspect dish. For fast meeting, roast the tomatoes prematurely.
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 recipe Roasted Tomatoes
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 cup sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1 cup blended recent basil and mint leaves
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- ½ cup diced crimson onion
- ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 recipe Italian Dressing, plus 2 further garlic cloves, grated
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly flooring black pepper
- Pink pepper flakes
- 1 cup roasted chickpeas
Save you your display screen from going darkish
-
In a big bowl, mix the quinoa, roasted tomatoes, arugula, cucumbers, basil and mint, feta, olives, onion, and pine nuts.
-
Toss to mix, then drizzle with part the dressing and toss once more. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and a couple of pinches of crimson pepper flakes and toss once more. Season to style, tossing with extra dressing as desired. Most sensible with the roasted chickpeas and serve.
Make this recipe vegan through omitting the cheese.