Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This recipe for Mediterranean quinoa salad is full of fresh vegetables, feta cheese and olives, tossed in a lemon and herb dressing and topped with pine nuts. It’s a light and colorful addition to any meal!

I love salad, but I don’t love when it’s a sea of lettuce with a few tiny vegetable pieces sprinkled in. I’m all about the salad toppings, the more the better in my opinion. This Mediterranean quinoa salad actually doesn’t contain any lettuce at all – just plenty of fresh vegetables mixed with quinoa and tossed in a flavorful dressing!

This salad is all about the colors and textures – I did a rainbow effect with the veggies by choosing cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, diced yellow bell pepper and a little bit of minced red onion. Other great additions to this Mediterranean quinoa salad would be artichoke hearts or chickpeas. I mixed the vegetables with the quinoa and dressing then added a sprinkling of olives, feta cheese and toasted pine nuts over the top.

The dressing for this salad takes about 2 minutes to make using staples that you probably already have in your pantry. I often make a double batch of this salad as it keeps well in the fridge for a few days and makes the perfect grab and go lunch for me.

This Mediterranean quinoa salad is the perfect side dish for a barbecue or a potluck or simply eat it as a meal in itself like I do. However you serve it up, this salad will likely become one of your go-to recipes as it has for me.

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This recipe for Mediterranean quinoa salad is full of fresh vegetables, feta cheese and olives, tossed in a lemon and herb dressing and topped with pine nuts. It's a light and colorful addition to any meal!

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 407 kcal

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• For the dressing:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. For the dressing:
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously to combine. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
3. For the salad:
4. Mix together the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, olives and onion. Reserve 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture to garnish later.
5. Add the quinoa and parsley to the bowl; stir to combine with the vegetables.
6. Pour in the dressing in the amount that you prefer, toss to coat evenly.
7. Place the reserved vegetables on top of the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pine nuts and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 407 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 25g 38%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 16mg 5%

Sodium 372mg 16%

Potassium 471mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 4g

Protein 10g 20%

Vitamin A 21.4%

Vitamin C 46.3%

Calcium 13.6%

Iron 17.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Things You’ll Need (or Want!)

Salad Dressing Shaker This salad dressing shaker makes creating and storing homemade dressings so easy – just pour in your ingredients, shake, then serve with the handy pour spout!

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Salad Samurai Cookbook I eat a salad for lunch almost every day and I’m always looking to add a little variety to my routine. This Salad Samurai cookbook has 100 amazing looking (and vegan!) salads, it’s at the top of my wish list.

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Salad Serving Set This Mediterranean quinoa salad is definitely worthy of serving to company; a beautiful wood salad set is a nice way to dress up the presentation.

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