Mediterranean quinoa salad

A mixed Mediterranean quinoa salad with cucumber, peppers and olives and feta cheese on top with a lemon half and fresh basil to the side for garnish.

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Mediterranean quinoa salad is a flavorful, veggie-loaded salad with great colors, flavors and textures!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 cup dry quinoa
½ large hot house cucumber, chopped small
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped small
½ small red onion, chopped small
⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped small
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the lemon basil dressing:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup basil leaves, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus extra for serving
1 garlic clove, smashed
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package directions and let cool. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, chop veggies and add to a large bowl.
To make the dressing: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until well combined.
Add cooled quinoa to bowl with veggies and stir to mix.
When ready to serve, add dressing to salad and stir to combine. Top with feta cheese, if using, and extra chopped fresh basil. Finish with an extra squeeze of lemon juice.

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Notes

The quinoa for this salad needs to be cooled, so plan accordingly. (You can also stick your cooked quinoa in the freezer for a bit if you’re in a pinch.)

You can make the entire salad ahead if you want. Just wait to add the dressing until you’re ready to serve.

The basil flavor in the dressing is pretty mild so I like to top this salad with extra chopped basil. I add an extra squeeze of lemon before serving, as well, to really make it pop.

No white wine vinegar? I made this once when I was out and substituted regular distilled vinegar and a pinch of sugar and it turned out just fine.

I like the salty pop from the feta cheese but you could leave it out if you want this salad to be dairy-free and/or vegan.

You can add a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas for a vegetarian main dish.

You can add some grilled chicken on top! You can double the dressing for the salad and use that as the marinade for the chicken. Or just add some leftover chicken to make this a main meal.

Nutrition

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