Greek Quinoa Salad

Greek Quinoa Salad is a simple light quinoa salad packed with protein, fresh vegetables, olives, and a delicious Greek Dressing. 

Greek Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a neutral grain, that while loaded with protein and fiber, it is not really singing with flavor.

That makes it a perfect base for a nutritious salad, as it will take on the flavors of the ingredients added and pack in a hefty dose of whole grains, fiber, and protein.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy quinoa salad is this Greek Quinoa Salad. When quinoa is tossed with roasted red peppers, fresh vegetables and herbs, olives, and a Greek dressing, it transforms into a dish that is satisfying and full of flavor. And it also happens to be quite easy to make!

Notes on Ingredients

• Quinoa: You can use any variety or color of quinoa you desire.
• Greek Dressing: The dressing is made with red wine vinegar, olive oil, dried herbs, and capers which add so much zing and flavor to the dressing. And because the dressing is blended, you won't bite into a whole caper which can be overwhelming. Instead, they just add flavor, saltiness, and tang to the dressing.
• Toppings: Feel free to use your imagination and pick and choose any vegetables and herbs you like, such as diced English cucumber, roasted red peppers, Kalamative olives, grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh parsley, and crumbled feta cheese.

How to Make Greek Quinoa Salad

• Prepare the dressing by placing all the ingredients for the dressing into a blender or food processor and blend until well combined. You can simply whisk the dressing together by hand, but I prefer to blend the dressing together to break down the capers so that they don't overwhelm the salad if whole.
• Prepare the quinoa, I prefer using Instant Pot Quinoa, as it is the fastest and most fool-proof method of cooking quinoa. However, if you don't have an Instant Pot, simply cook your quinoa on the stove, according to package directions.
• Allow the quinoa to cool slightly, and then pour half of the dressing over the quinoa and toss to coat. Allow it to cool fully.
• Once the quinoa is cooled fully to room temperature, add in the remaining dressing and the chopped vegetables, olive, and herbs.
• Toss together until well combined.
• You can serve immediately, or cover the quinoa salad and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to really develop.

A Few Notes on this Quinoa Salad

• If you choose to use a regular cucumber over an English cucumber, be sure to peel your cucumber and de-seed it before adding it to the salad.
• If you use vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes, de-seed before adding the salad as well.
• You can store Greek Quinoa Salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• This Quinoa Salad is naturally gluten-free, and if you leave out the feta cheese, it is also dairy-free and vegan-friendly.
• Grilled Greek Chicken pairs perfectly with this quinoa salad for a hearty meal full of protein.

More Quinoa Recipes

• Quinoa Spinach Salad
• Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Mozzarella and Tomato Quinoa Bake
• Veggie Packed Quinoa Burgers
• Quinoa Porridge

If you enjoyed this simple Greek Quinoa Salad, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below. 

Greek Quinoa Salad

Packed with protein and classic Greek flavors, this simple Quinoa Salad makes a perfect lunch or light dinner. 

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 -10

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

For the Quinoa Salad

• ▢ 1 cup dried quinoa
• ▢ 1 large roasted red pepper diced
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped kalamata olives
• ▢ ½ cup feta cheese optional
• ▢ 1 large English cucumber diced
• ▢ ½ cup chopped tomatoes I used grape tomatoes
• ▢ ½ cup artichoke hearts chopped
• ▢ ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

For the Greek Dressing

• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 minced garlic glove
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon capers

Cook ModePrevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

Instructions

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed water and is tender. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• While the quinoa is cooling, prepare the dressing by placing the red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper into a blender or food processor and blending until the capers are broken down and well combined.
• Once quinoa is cooled slightly (about 10 minutes), pour half the dressing over the cooked quinoa. 
• Once the quinoa has reached room temperature, pour the remaining salad dressing over the quinoa. Add in the cucumbers, feta, if using, olives, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and parsley. Toss together until everything is well distributed.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to come together.

Notes

• If you choose to use a regular cucumber over an English cucumber, be sure to peel your cucumber and de-seed it before adding it to the salad.
• If you use vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes, de-seed before adding the salad as well.
• You can store Greek Quinoa Salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• This Quinoa Salad is naturally gluten-free, and if you leave out the feta cheese, it is also dairy-free and vegan-friendly. 

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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