Description
A refreshing and nutritious Mediterranean quinoa salad featuring fluffy quinoa, fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onion, and crumbled feta cheese, all tossed in a tangy lemon-olive oil dressing with garlic and oregano. Perfect as a light lunch or a vibrant side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained)
- 2 cups water
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cucumber (diced)
- 1/2 red onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives (sliced)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Cheese
- 1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
Instructions
- Rinse Quinoa: Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water in a fine mesh strainer to remove its natural bitterness, then drain well.
- Cook Quinoa: In a medium-sized pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and all the water is absorbed.
- Cool Quinoa: Remove the pot from heat, fluff the quinoa gently with a fork to separate the grains, and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare Vegetables: While the quinoa cools, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, finely chop the red onion, and slice the Kalamata olives.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until well emulsified.
- Combine Salad Base: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled quinoa along with the chopped vegetables and freshly chopped parsley. Toss gently to combine evenly.
- Add Dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the quinoa and vegetable mixture, tossing carefully to coat all ingredients with the flavorful dressing.
- Incorporate Feta Cheese: Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese to maintain its texture without breaking it up too much.
- Serve or Chill: Serve the salad immediately for best freshness, or refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully before serving.
Notes
- Rinsing quinoa is important to remove the natural bitter coating called saponin.
- Allowing the quinoa to cool fully prevents the feta cheese from melting when combined.
- This salad can be prepared a day in advance and kept chilled to enhance flavor integration.
- For a vegan version, omit the feta cheese or substitute it with a plant-based cheese alternative.
- Adjust salt and lemon juice according to taste preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Mediterranean quinoa salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, easy quinoa recipe, fresh vegetable salad, feta cheese salad, lemon dressing salad
