Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, a delicious salad that is loaded with the nutrients of vegetables along with a zesty and flavourful dressing. Serve it on its own or a side dish for your weekend brunch. Here is how to make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe.
A good salad with the goodness of protein is always welcome! Why? As protein is one of the essential nutrients required for our body and it also keeps you filled for a longer time.
You can have these salads for your meals or even as a snack in between your meals or whenever you are hungry.
So these days, I am big time relishing on this high protein Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, which is high on taste as well as health.
Also, one of the main ingredient here, is Quinoa, a super food that is widely becoming popular in India these days and is also a great substitute to rice.
As it is very high in protein, I also make Quinoa along with my curries and dals. So if you have not tasted this super food yet, add it to your list next time you go for grocery shopping and make this refreshing and nutritious salad.
Learn how to make this Mediterranean Style Quinoa Salad, which is also a great option to pack in your office Lunch Box. Here is the recipe of Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
What is Mediterranean Quinoa Salad?
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, an easy to make and light summer salad that has tasty Mediterranean flavours. Along with Quinoa, the star ingredient of this salad, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, grape tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, parsley, feta cheese and pine nuts are also used to add more nutrition.
This salad hardly takes 10 minutes to get ready, if you have ingredients ready at your kitchen counter.
If you think the salad is so easy to make, wait till you see the zesty dressing recipe, its even easier than that.
What you need for the dressing, just four ingredients – extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Yes, that’s it! This dressing will give your salad a beautiful flavour and texture.
If you are looking for a non vegetarian version of this salad, you can even add shredded chicken or pieces of grilled chicken in this salad.
To make a vegan version of the same, substitute feta cheese with avocados for that soft texture in the salad.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Ingredients
How to cook Quinoa?
Quinoa is a little tricky to cook and you will get the perfect technique when you try it for 2 to 3 times.
Wash the quinoa for about 3 to 4 times, to wash the bitterness of its outer coating.
Here, I will tell you the ratio of water to quinoa to cook 1 cup quinoa. You need about 1-1/2 cup water for 1 cup quinoa.
1 cup quinoa, fluffs up after cooking and gives you 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
Make sure you don’t overcook the quinoa, as they will not taste good in the salad. It takes about 20 minutes to cook quinoa in a pan. You can also cook it in a pressure cooker with the same water ratio.
Can you freeze this salad?
I would not recommend you to freeze this salad, as if you freeze it, the freshness and the texture will not remain the same.
Instead you can cook quinoa and freeze it. Stir up the vegetables and feta cheese in the quinoa when you want to serve the salad.
How to store this salad?
If you have leftovers, you can store it in the refrigerator in an air tight container for about 3 days. This salad actually tastes better the next day, when the vegetables soaks up the dressing nicely.
Can I make this salad using mixed colour Quinoa?
Yes, you can definitely add the mixed colour quinoa to this salad, it will lend a beautiful colour to the salad.
How to serve Mediterranean Quinoa Salad?
This delicious and full of flavour Mediterranean Quinoa Salad tastes great on its own for a light lunch or dinner. It is even great to serve as a side dish along with grilled chicken or fish, and also great for backyard parties and BBQ’s.
You can even serve it as a side with your Continental brunch. As it is a light salad, you can serve it as a side with a hearty soup or sandwich.
But there is one way I like to serve it, along with Hummus and Pita Bread. Tastes the best!
How to make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Step By Step
Add all the ingredients to make the salad except feta cheese and pine nuts in a bowl and mix well.
Add the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Top the salad with feta cheese and pine nuts just before serving.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, a delicious salad that is loaded with the nutrients of vegetables along with a zesty and flavourful dressing. Serve it on its own or a side dish for your weekend brunch.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Quinoa Cooked
- 1 cup Chickpeas Cooked
- 1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper Cubed
- 1/2 cup Cucumber Cubed
- 1/2 cup Grape Tomatoes Cut into half
- 1/2 cup Onions Chopped
- 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives Pitted and sliced
- 2 tbsp Parsley Finely chopped
- 50 g Feta Cheese
- 1/4 cup Pine Nuts Roasted
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Add all the ingredients to make the salad except feta cheese and pine nuts in a bowl and mix well.
Add the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Top the salad with feta cheese and pine nuts just before serving.
Are you making this recipe? I LOVE to see your creations so snap a photo and tag Whiskaffair on Instagram with the hashtag #Whiskaffair and please give a star rating below ★. You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for more such easy recipes.
Betts
Please include the recipe for salad dressing. You merely list the ingredients, but have left off the amts. thank you,
Neha Mathur
Sorry about that. Just updated the recipe.