Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Mediterranean quinoa salad made with white quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, olives, feta cheese and red bell pepper. Bright, summery and cheerful, this salad is healthy, gluten free and packs some serious nutrition. Best of all, it's so tasty that you could eat it every day.

This salad is very addictive. It's hard to stop eating it. I like it as an accompaniment to meat dishes or as a light meal on its own. It's filling yet light and easy going. This is the kind of salad that you can enjoy all year round.

I chose a combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, baby cucumbers, Haas avocado and red bell peppers as the base for this salad. Together with feta cheese and green olives they create a balanced taste and a wide range of complementing textures and flavors.

I made the dressing for this recipe balanced and well-rounded. This makes the salad very easy to enjoy on its own. For a brighter and more lively version of this salad check out my zesty quinoa salad. I love it with grilled or roasted meats.

To match the more balanced taste of the dressing I used white quinoa in this recipe. White quinoa has a light flavor that does not overpower other ingredients in the salad. Of the three available quinoa colors, it also has the lightest texture once cooked and is less crunchy than other colored varieties.

Mediterranean quinoa salad tips

• Dressing the salad and letting it stand for a few hours at room temperature will let the flavors blend together and develop a richer taste.
• This salad is can be served as a standalone meal or as a side dish for meats, fish and poultry. This salad is also a healthy and nutritious option for breakfast.
• This salad will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3  days. After that the taste will quickly deteriorate.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, European, Mediterranean

Keyword: Mediterrenean quinoa salad, quinoa salad

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Rest time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Victor

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa uncooked
• 1 tomato cut in 8 wedges and then cut crosswise
• 1 avocado peeled, quartered and sliced crosswise
• 1 baby cucumber sliced crosswise
• 1 red bell pepper seeded, membrane removed, cut in 3/8" strips then cut crosswise in 1" pieces
• 1/3 medium red onion coarsely chopped
• 1 green onion green and white parts, sliced very thinly
• 1/2 cup green olives pitted and halved
• 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled, for sprinkling

For the dressing

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed; from about 1 large lemon
• lemon zest from one lemon
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
• 1 tsp white sugar

Instructions

• Cook the quinoa following the instructions on the package, set aside and let cool down.
• To make the quinoa salad dressing, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended and the sugar and salt are dissolved.
• Combine quinoa with the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss. Taste and adjust for salt if needed.
• Serve immediately or cover let stand at room temperature until ready to serve. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1005IU | Vitamin C: 37.6mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2.3mg