Greek Quinoa Salad

Greek Quinoa Salad: Packed with protein, fresh vegetables, olives and a delicious Greek Dressing, this light salad is satisfying and healthy. 

Greek Quinoa Salad

I adore Greek food. I adore Quinoa. I adore quick meals.

So it is only natural, I would throw these three elements together to create an easy Greek Quinoa Salad.

Quinoa is a neutral grain, that while loaded with protein, it is not really singing with flavor. HOWEVER, this makes quinoa a great blank canvas for this Greek Salad, as it will soak up the Greek Dressing and not compete with the flavor profiles of the roasted red peppers, fresh vegetables, or briny olives featured in this salad.

How to Make Greek Quinoa Salad

Step One: Make 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.

Step Two: Make the Greek Dressing

This Greek Vinaigrette is such an easy dressing to make and is perfect not only for this quinoa salad, but also to keep on hand to dress tossed salads.

It is as simple as throwing the ingredients into the blender and blending. And yes, 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.

Step Three: Prep the Toppings

Feel free to use your imagination and pick and choose any vegetables that your family likes. I love to use the following:

• Diced English cucumber
• Roasted red pepper
• Kalamative olives
• Grape tomatoes
• Artichoke hearts
• Fresh Parsely
• Feta–if I am not looking to keep this salad vegan/dairy-free, I add in 1/2 cup crumbled feta.

Step Four: Toss the Salad

• Once the quinoa is done cooking, cool slightly.
• Pour half the dressing over the quinoa and then allow to cool completely.
• Add in the prepared ingredients, along with the rest of the dressing and toss together.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.

A Few Notes on this Greek Salad

• This is a great recipe to use for meal prep. Make early in the week and use it for lunches as the week goes by.
• Grilled Greek Chicken pairs perfectly with this quinoa salad for a hearty meal full of protein.
• If you choose to use a regular cucumber over an English cucumber, be sure to peel your cucumber and de-seed it before adding to the salad.
• If you use vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes, de-seed before adding the salad as well.

More Quinoa Recipes

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

Greek Quinoa Salad

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

5 from 1 vote

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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 quinoa1 cup dried quinoa
• 1 large roasted red pepper diced1 large roasted red pepper diced
• 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup feta cheese optional1/2 cup feta cheese optional
• 1 large English cucumber diced1 large English cucumber diced
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes I used grape tomatoes1/2 cup chopped tomatoes I used grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts chopped1/2 cup artichoke hearts chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the Greek Dressing

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 minced garlic glove1 minced garlic glove
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon capers1 tablespoon capers

Instructions

• Cook the quinoa, according to the package instructions and then allow quinoa to cool.
• In the meantime, prepare the dressing by blending the red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, garlic, capers, salt and pepper.
• Once quinoa is cooled slightly (about 10 minutes), pour half the dressing over the cooked quinoa. 
• Once quinoa has reached room temperature, pour remaining salad dressing over quinoa and add in remaining ingredients. Toss together. 
• Serve immediately, or after refrigerating for several hours.

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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