Mediterranean Quinoa Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette

Made with fresh vegetables, herbs, and homemade lemon vinaigrette, this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is both healthy and delicious. It’s perfect for a healthy side or to bring to your next picnic or potluck.

Having lots of easy recipes on hand that are delicious and packed with fresh, healthy ingredients is key to maintaining a healthy diet. That’s why I love this Mediterranean quinoa salad! It’s so easy to make, it’s packed with veggies, and it has lots of fresh ingredients so it is full of amazing flavors that blend really well together.

If you are looking for another great, healthy salad recipe that is perfect for lunch, as a nutritious side for dinner, or a delicious and beautiful salad to bring to your next picnic or potluck, you definitely need to try this quinoa salad recipe!

It’s so easy to make, it tastes amazing, and you can feel great about eating it yourself or serving it to your friends and family!

I hope you enjoy this Mediterranean quinoa salad as much as we do!

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a plant grown for its seeds. There are over 100 varieties of quinoa. Although it has been consumed by humans for thousands of years, it is fairly new to the United Sates where it was only introduced in the last few decades. Known as a whole grain, quinoa is a good source of protein and fiber. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals.

Is Quinoa Good For You?

Yes, quinoa is a whole grain that provides protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

What Can I Serve With Mediterranean Quinoa Salad?

Mediterranean quinoa salad can be served in so many different ways. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy it.

• Serve it as a main dish and add some fresh avocado or chickpeas to make it a bit more filling.
• Top a large bowl of mixed greens with Mediterranean quinoa salad.
• Serve with grilled shrimp.
• Enjoy this quinoa salad as a side to baked or grilled fish.
• Serve with grilled lamb or lamb meatballs.
• Serve as a side with grilled chicken.

Tips For Making Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

• Make the quinoa the night before so it is ready to go for a really quick lunch or side dish.
• For more veggies, add some chopped fresh zucchini.
• Try using goat cheese instead of feta.
• Prep a large bowl of quinoa salad on the weekend and portion it out into quick and easy grab and go containers for lunch throughout the week.
• Meal prep a bowl of Mediterranean quinoa salad and lamb meatballs to portion out for single serve meals for busy weeknights.

How To Cook Quinoa

1. To cook the quinoa, fill a medium sized saucepan with 3 cups of filtered water. Bring the water to a boil.
2. While the water is boiling, pour one and a half cups of quinoa into a fine mesh sieve and rinse well. This is to remove the saponin, which is a coating on quinoa that develops naturally. Without rinsing, the saponin can give the quinoa a bitter taste.
3. Pour the rinsed quinoa into the boiling water and give it a quick stir.
4. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pot, and let the quinoa cook undisturbed for fifteen minutes. Do not mix the quinoa while it is cooking.
5. After the fifteen minutes are up, the moisture should be gone and you should be able to easily fluff the quinoa with a fork. Remove the quinoa from the heat and let it cool.

Ingredients

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Quinoa Salad

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 3 cups filtered water
• red or yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 english cucumber
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup crumbled feta

How To Make Lemon Vinaigrette

Place all of the ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette into a small mason jar with a lid. Shake well to mix. Give it a quick taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside.

How To Make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

1. Cook 1 1/2 cups of quinoa in 3 cups of water. Let cool. It is a good idea to do this step in advance so the quinoa has time to cool. If it is not made in advance, transfer to a bowl after cooking and place the bowl in the fridge so the quinoa can cool faster.
2. Zest one lemon. Set aside.
3. Using the same lemon, make the lemon vinaigrette and set aside.
4. Rinse all of the vegetables and pat dry.
5. Dice the pepper and red onion into bite sized pieces. Peel the cucumber and cut into small, bite sized pieces. Set aside.
6. Cut the tomatoes into halves or fourths, depending on their size. Set aside.
7. Drain the olives, remove the pits if necessary, and give them a quick chop. Set aside.
8. Discard the stems from the basil and parsley. Finely chop the herbs.
9. Once the quinoa has cooled, add all of the prepared ingredients to the bowl. Crumble the feta on top. Pour the lemon vinaigrette on top of the quinoa salad. Gently mix well.
10. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.