Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
My Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is an incredibly simple and healthy side dish that's bursting with all of your favorite Mediterranean flavors like Kalamata Olives and feta cheese. This salad provides a variety of textures like juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and creamy feta that keeps every bite just as satisfying as the next. Take this salad to your next picnic or serve along with some simple grilled chicken or shrimp. You and your family will be delighted by all the delicious flavors and textures of my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
Get ready for a bright and healthy side dish you can make any time of year. My Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is packed full of vegetables, briny olives, and creamy feta, all mixed together with nutritious quinoa.. I’ve topped this salad with sumac onions (recipe in notes) to add an intense lemony accent that complements this salad with every bite. The best part is that my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is so versatile. You can omit or add any vegetable you like and serve it with just about any protein. Even though you probably won’t have any leftovers, this salad will keep overnight so you can have it the next day for lunch. In fact, I recently had this as my lunch right before I met up with a friend for a walk around our local lake. I was so satisfied from such a delicious lunch so I was sharing this recipe with my friend when something strange caught our eyes. Just underneath the lapping waves and barely beneath the sand was something unusual and shiny. I approached the water and bravely dug my hand into the muck and pulled out a very old and strange looking ring with symbols that looked like what I can best describe as hieroglyphic body builders. Together, we examined the ring for some time and made our best guesses at what all the symbols could possibly mean. In the end, we decided that one of us should try it on to see if anything happens. I was feeling pretty lucky that day so I decided that I would have a go at trying the mystery ring on. As soon as I slipped the ring over my index finger, I felt a wave of confidence come over me, like I could take on the universe. I followed a hunch I had and walked over to a metal picnic table, and with almost no effort at all, I was able to heft it over my head. We were absolutely awe stricken at this discovery and had to sit for a while to decide if this is the kind of power that we really wanted to possess. My friend and I decided that at the end of the day, we should keep the ring safe and locked up because who knows what kind of person this power could fall on. The ring was located in a safety deposit box where only the two of us knew the code. We knew we made the right choice to keep it secret and keep it safe, but we do on occasion take it out when someone needs some furniture moved. For now, I’ll have to keep getting my power from healthy dishes such as my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
- 2 cup Quinoa (Already cooked, 1 cup if starting from uncooked)
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes (Halved)
- 1 cup Cucumbers (Diced)
- 1/2 cup Red Onion (Diced)
- 1/2 cup Feta Crumbles
- 2 tsp Dill (Chopped finely)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives (Pitted and halved)
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil (add more or less for your tastes)
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Cook your quinoa according to package instructions. While your quinoa is cooking, prep your veggies and set aside.
I like to use broth to cook my quinoa, never miss an opportunity to add flavor!Once your quinoa is fully cooked, add to your bowl and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes, once cooled add your remaining ingredients and stir well. Serve immediately or allow to chill and serve.
This is a great salad to serve chilled or at room temperature. For the photos, I whipped up some sumac onions by slicing a red onion and adding about 1 t each of lemon and oil, and 1/2 t each of salt and dried sumac then allowing it to marinate for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!
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