This quinoa salad is going to be a new meal plan staple for you! Borrowing flavors from a traditional Greek salad, you will love this take on a quinoa salad. The addition of quinoa makes the salad more hearty and filling without weighing you down.
It’s such a refreshing salad that keeps really well and will taste even better once the dressing has had a chance to settle into the quinoa. And the best part is that you only need pantry staples for the salad dressing! Similar to my Tabbouleh, this is a crowd-pleasing salad that is perfect for any occasion.
Key Ingredients You Need
- Quinoa — There are so many different types of quinoa, and for this salad, you can use whichever one you have on hand. White, red, black, and tri-colored quinoa all work for this recipe!
- Kalamata olives — If you haven’t had kalamata olives before, they have a meatier texture and a rich fruitier flavor than black olives.
- English cucumber — I love using English cucumbers as it is seedless and there’s no need to peel the skin before using.
- Feta cheese — This Greek cheese adds a great salty flavor and creamy texture to the salad.
How to Make Greek Quinoa Salad
Step 1: Rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear.
Step 2: Add the quinoa, water, and salt to a saucepan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Step 3: Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Step 4: Chop the rest of the ingredients.
Step 5: In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, and feta cheese.
Step 6: Drizzle the dressing and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Tips For This Recipe
- Rinsing the quinoa before cooking can help remove any bitterness. Some quinoas come pre-rinsed, but it doesn’t hurt to rinse it again!
- Fresh herbs such as mint, dill, parsley, cilantro, and basil are great additions to the salad if you have any on hand.
- If you find red onions to taste too strong, you can soak them in cold water for a couple of minutes before adding them to the salad.
- To speed up cooling the cooked quinoa, you can spread it out in a thin layer on a sheet pan and place it in the fridge.
- Skip the feta to make this Greek quinoa salad vegan-friendly.
- If you do not have grape tomatoes, you can use cherry tomatoes and Roma tomatoes instead.
- If you want even more flavor, you can cook the quinoa in a stock of your choice (such as vegetable stock, mushroom stock, and chicken stock).
- Try to cut everything into similar sizes, so you get a bit of everything with every bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best part about this quinoa salad is that you can enjoy it either warm or cold. This is why it’s my go-to recipe if I’m going to a potluck or picnic, as I don’t have to worry about reheating the dish.
This Greek-inspired quinoa salad is very versatile! You can add chickpeas, bell peppers, zucchini, or any vegetables you have in your fridge.
You can store this salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. There’s no need to store the dressing separately as there aren’t any leafy greens, and the quinoa will absorb the salad dressing.
If you want to serve this salad as a side dish, it goes really well with my Black Bean Burger, Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with Dill Yogurt Sauce, Air Fryer Salmon, and Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Greek Quinoa Salad Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Greek Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ½ cups of water
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1 ½ cups English cucumber diced
- ½ cup kalamata olives halved
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear.
- Add the quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is fully cooked and the water has been absorbed- 15 to 20 minutes. After it's done, set aside and let cool.
- While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the salad dressing. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing and toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- Rinsing the quinoa before cooking can help remove any bitterness. Some quinoas come pre-rinsed, but it doesn’t hurt to rinse it again!
- Fresh herbs such as mint, dill, parsley, cilantro, and basil are great additions to the salad if you have any on hand.
- If you find red onions to taste too strong, you can soak them in cold water for a couple of minutes before adding them to the salad.
- To speed up cooling the cooked quinoa, you can spread it out in a thin layer on a sheet pan and place it in the fridge.
- Skip the feta to make this salad vegan-friendly.
- If you do not have grape tomatoes, you can use cherry tomatoes and Roma tomatoes instead.
- If you want even more flavor, you can cook the quinoa in a stock of your choice (such as vegetable stock, mushroom stock, and chicken stock).
- Try to cut everything into similar sizes, so you get a bit of everything with every bite.
Leave a Reply