Perfect Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

If you ask me, quinoa salads are one of the smartest weeknight dinners around.

This Mediterranean-inspired dish brings together fluffy quinoa with fresh vegetables and herbs that taste like summer. Crisp cucumbers and juicy tomatoes mix with a lemony dressing that’s packed with olive oil and garlic.

It’s loaded with chickpeas for protein and topped with creamy feta cheese and briny olives. Everything gets tossed together for a satisfying meal that feels light but keeps you full.

It’s a family-friendly recipe that works great for meal prep, perfect when you want something healthy without much fuss.

What Kind of Quinoa Should I Use?

Any type of quinoa will work great for this Mediterranean salad – white, red, or black quinoa all have their own appeal. White quinoa is the mildest in flavor and cooks the fastest, making it a good choice if you’re new to quinoa or want the other ingredients to really shine. Red and black quinoa have a slightly nuttier taste and hold their shape well after cooking, which can add nice texture to your salad. Just make sure to rinse your quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove the natural coating that can make it taste bitter – a fine mesh strainer works perfectly for this.

Options for Substitutions

This Mediterranean salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps – here are some easy substitutions:

• Quinoa: While quinoa gives this salad its protein boost, you can substitute it with couscous, bulgur wheat, or even cooked orzo pasta. Just adjust cooking times according to package directions.
• Persian cucumbers: Regular cucumbers work fine – just peel and seed them first since they tend to be more watery. You’ll need about half of a large cucumber.
• Feta cheese: If you’re not a feta fan, try goat cheese, fresh mozzarella pearls, or even diced avocado for a creamy element. For dairy-free, just skip the cheese entirely.
• Kalamata olives: Any type of olives will work here – green olives, black olives, or even sun-dried tomatoes if you want to skip olives altogether.
• Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar make good substitutes. You can also use all lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand.
• Bell peppers: Feel free to use any color combination of bell peppers, or try roasted red peppers from a jar for extra flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with quinoa salad is not rinsing the quinoa thoroughly before cooking, which leaves behind a bitter coating called saponin that can ruin the whole dish – rinse it in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

Another common error is not letting the cooked quinoa cool completely before adding the other ingredients, as warm quinoa will wilt your vegetables and make the feta cheese mushy.

To get the best flavor, make sure to season your quinoa while it’s still warm with a pinch of salt, and don’t add the dressing until right before serving since the acid from the lemon juice and vinegar can make your vegetables soggy if it sits too long.

For extra flavor, try toasting your quinoa in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes before adding water – this simple step adds a nutty depth that makes all the difference.

What to Serve With Mediterranean Quinoa Salad?

This quinoa salad is pretty filling on its own, but it pairs beautifully with grilled chicken, lamb, or fish for a complete Mediterranean meal. I love serving it alongside some warm pita bread or naan so you can scoop up all those tasty bits of feta and olives. It also makes a great side dish for barbecued meats or roasted vegetables, especially during summer cookouts. For a lighter option, try it with some hummus and fresh vegetables, or even stuff it into a pita pocket for an easy lunch on the go.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This Mediterranean quinoa salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors really meld together nicely, making it perfect for meal prep or bringing to potlucks.

Make Ahead: I love making this salad a day ahead because it tastes even better the next day. Just give it a good stir before serving since the dressing might settle a bit. If you’re planning to keep it longer than 2 days, you might want to add the cucumbers and tomatoes fresh to keep them from getting too soft.

Serve: This salad is meant to be enjoyed cold or at room temperature, so no reheating needed! Just pull it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving if you want to take the chill off. Give it a quick toss and maybe add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten it up.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	15-20 minutes
Total Time	30-40 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 750-850
• Protein: 20-25 g
• Fat: 32-38 g
• Carbohydrates: 95-105 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3 persian cucumbers or 1/2 english cucumber, sliced
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 handful kalamata olives, pitted
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 3.5 oz feta cheese, cubed (packed in oil and herbs preferred)

For the dressing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (or more as desired)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Step 1: Cook the Quinoa

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water to remove its bitterness, then cook it according to the package directions, typically using two parts water to one part quinoa.

Once the quinoa is cooked and fluffy, set it aside to cool completely before adding it to the salad.

I find that spreading the quinoa out on a plate helps it cool faster.

Step 2: Prepare the Vegetables and Cheese

• 3 Persian cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 handful kalamata olives, pitted
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 3.5 oz feta cheese, cubed (packed in oil and herbs preferred)

While the quinoa cools, prepare the remaining salad ingredients.

Slice the Persian cucumbers (or half an English cucumber), halve the cherry or grape tomatoes, chop the red and green bell peppers, pit the kalamata olives, chop the red onion, and cube the feta cheese if not already done.

Add all these prepared ingredients to a large salad bowl.

Step 3: Combine Quinoa with Salad Ingredients

• cooked quinoa (from Step 1)

Once the cooked quinoa from Step 1 has cooled, add it to the salad bowl with the prepared vegetables and feta cheese.

Gently toss everything together to combine.

Step 4: Make and Add the Dressing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (or more as desired)
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Pour the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and red wine vinegar directly into the salad bowl.

Sprinkle in the dried oregano, and season well with salt and black pepper to taste.

Toss the salad thoroughly to ensure everything is coated.

I like to be generous with the salt and pepper in this step since quinoa can taste quite bland otherwise, especially if it wasn’t cooked with salt.

Step 5: Chill or Serve the Salad

You can serve the salad immediately, or for best flavor, chill it in the refrigerator for a bit before serving.

The salad will keep well in the fridge for several days, making it perfect for meal prep.