Greek Quinoa Salad

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Traditional Greek salads are a summer must-eat. Quinoa makes them even better. That’s because quinoa adds lots of good nutrition with fiber and protein. You can make a salad more filling when you combine the veggies and the rest of the ingredients with pulses or grains.

This is a salad and a side dish in a single recipe. I am a big fan of dishes that can play more than one part in a meal. By including quinoa, I turn this one into a grain salad, and that’s how the lines get blurred. (Just a reminder that quinoa is technically a seed, so it is gluten-free.)

If you are looking for a refreshing dish to take to a potluck or barbecue, this Greek quinoa salad is it. With tomatoes, cucumbers and chickpeas, it works with anything that’s grilled and smoky and has those signature Mediterranean flavors. 

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Quinoa: You can use any color quinoa—white, red or black—or a combination of all 3. If you own’t have quinoa, this salad also works with farro or barley, but keep in mind that those grains are not gluten free.
• Tomatoes: Most often for salads I prefer cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. When you cut them in half, they hold their shape. If you dice larger tomatoes, the seeds and juices end up mixed into the salad.
• Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers, also known as mini cucumbers, have more delicate skin and less seeds than regular ones. English cucumbers are another good option for the same reason.
• Kalamata olives: Make sure they are pitted. I cut them in half so they are well distributed throughout the salad and their size is close to the rest of the ingredients. They have better flavor and texture than black olives.
• Bell peppers: I am usually a red bell pepper person, but I actually enjoy the more bitter flavor of green peppers in this salad with the ripe tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients.
• Chickpeas aren’t a traditional Greek salad ingredient, but much like they quinoa, they make this salad more hearty and wholesome.
• Red onions: The easiest way to slice your onions paper thin, is to use a mandolin, but you can also do it with a sharp chef’s knife.
• Feta: For Greek salads, I take a block of salty feta cheese and break it with my hands. That gives you more variation in the sizes of the pieces that are mixed throughout the salad. It’s better to do it this way than buying a tub of crumbled feta cheese.
• Parsley and mint: Using a combination of fresh herbs makes the salad’s overall flavor more interesting. Do not use dried parsley and mint, they are very different than fresh.
• Red wine vinaigrette: This bright dressing includes minced garlic, whole grain mustard, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, dried oregano, kosher salt and black pepper.

Optional Additions

You can keep the recipe as written, or you can add one or more of the following ingredients:

• Chopped hard-boiled eggs
• Diced avocado
• Baby spinach or arugula or chopped romaine
• Toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts
• Protein: grilled or rotisserie chicken, salmon, or shrimp

Make-Ahead Tips, Leftovers & Storage

You can make quinoa and dressing up to 3 days in advance. Let the quinoa cool to room temperature before putting it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep the dressing in a jar. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, stir it and then toss it in the salad.

If you have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Because this salad doesn’t have lettuce, it is ok if you store it dressed. Extra dressing should be put in a separate jar if possible. As mentioned, this salad is a good choice for meal prep because the leftovers hold up.