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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.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Lemon Vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • 1 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

Method
 

How to Cook Quinoa
  1. 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. Pour the rinsed quinoa into the boiling water and give it a quick stir.
  3. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pot, and let the quinoa cook for fifteen minutes. Do not mix the quinoa while it is cooking.
  4. 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.
How to Make Lemon Vinaigrette
  1. Zest one lemon and set the zest aside. Use the same lemon to make the lemon vinaigrette
  2. 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.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
  1. Rinse all of the vegetables and pat dry.
  2. Dice the pepper and red onion into bite sized pieces. Peel the cucumber and cut into small, bite sized pieces. Set Aside.
  3. Cut the tomatoes into halves or fourths, depending on their size. Set aside.
  4. Drain the olives, remove the pits if necessary, and give them a quick chop. Set aside.
  5. Discard the stems from the basil and parsley. Finely chop the herbs.
  6. 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.
  7. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.