This hearty and refreshing Greek Quinoa Salad is loaded with delicious Mediterranean flavors and fresh veggies, like crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, salty feta cheese, and more. It’s perfect for meal prep, too, since it tastes better the longer that it sits. Great for barbecues, picnics and weeknight meals! {Gluten-Free & Vegetarian}

Healthy Greek Quinoa Salad Recipe – Great for Meal Prep!
If you’ve tried quinoa on its own, you probably know that it’s generally pretty bland. But I’ve found that doctoring it with a bunch of tasty Greek-inspired ingredients really brings it to life! Like a traditional Greek salad, this delicious Greek quinoa salad is quick and easy to make and overflowing with all those fresh, summery flavors.
We like it as a side dish at barbecues and parties, but honestly, it’s even satisfying with pita chips or over a bed of greens. It’s the easiest dinner ever for the too-hot summer months!
Featured Comment
I made this recipe and served it with bbq hamburgers and it was so good! The salad was so light and refreshing! It tasted even better today when I had it for lunch! Thank you for another great recipe! – Jo
If you love Mediterranean flavors, be sure to also try my Cucumber Noodle Salad and Greek Lentil Salad!

Why We Love this Greek Quinoa Salad Recipe
- Developed by a Registered Dietitian to have just the right balance of healthy fats, carbs, protein, and fresh vegetables
- Tastes better the longer it sits (so make a big batch!)
- Packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, and plant-based protein (quinoa has all nine essential amino acids!)
- Uses very simple ingredients
- Inexpensive option to feed a crew
- Works well as a side dish or vegetarian main meal
Ingredient Notes
For the Greek Quinoa Salad Bowl

- Quinoa: Quinoa is gluten-free so it’s a great option if you or someone in your family has an intolerance. You can also make this recipe with couscous as a non-gluten-free option.
- Fresh cucumbers: You can use English or Persian cucumbers.
- Cherry tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes for this recipe. They’re nice, sweet, and easy to slice in half. Grape tomatoes are basically the same thing.
- Red onion: Red onion is milder and ideal for salads, but green onions work, too.
- Kalamata olives: Kalamata olives have a meatier texture and slightly fruity flavor. You can sub in black olives if desired.
- Feta cheese: This Greek cheese adds a great briny flavor and creamy texture. You can also use goat cheese. For a vegan dish, omit the cheese altogether or sub in a plant-based cheese.
For the Lemon Dressing

- Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil if you can as it has a much rounder flavor. Regular will do the job too though.
- Fresh lemon juice: Adds a zesty flavor to the dressing.
- Red wine vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds a nice fruity tang. You can also make this with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for a slightly different taste.
- Garlic: Freshly minced is best.
How to Make Greek Quinoa Salad – Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a small pot, cook quinoa according to package directions. You can use vegetable or chicken broth instead of water to incorporate more flavor. Allow to cool.

- Once cool, toss quinoa together with the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl or mason jar, mix together the ingredients for the Greek salad dressing.

- Pour desired amount of dressing onto the quinoa mixture and toss to combine.

- Allow to sit for at least half an hour for optimal flavor.

Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Quinoa Salad
- Dice the vegetables into pieces that are roughly the same size. This will allow the flavors to be more evenly distributed throughout the salad.
- I recommend preparing this quinoa Greek salad in advance and letting it sit in the dressing for at least a half an hour to allow all of the flavors to come together. It tends to taste better the longer that it sits.
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine wire mesh strainer before cooking to help get rid of any bitterness.
- Make up a batch of the quinoa in advance to help this recipe come together really quickly.
How to Make Fluffy Quinoa
To make perfect quinoa, first you’ll want to give the quinoa a good rinse to help get rid of the bitterness. You can do so by placing the dry quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinsing it for a few seconds under cold water.
Next, dump the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan with about one and a third cup of water (or broth if you’d like to add more flavor) and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, turn the stove down to low and cover, allowing it to simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Turn the stove off, fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool while preparing the other ingredients.
Recipe FAQs
The quinoa needs to be rinsed to remove the natural outer coating which can taste bitter and soapy, however, it’s recommended that you don’t soak it, as these flavors can leach into the grains. Instead, simply rinse it under cold running water in a fine mesh strainer before cooking it.
If you’re in a hurry and need to cool the quinoa quickly, you can spread it into an even layer on a lined baking sheet and place it in the fridge. If you don’t have time to cool it completely, you can mix the other ingredients into it while it’s still slightly warm.
This salad can be served either warm, cold or at room temperature. Any way it’s delicious!
How to Store
The good news about this vegetarian salad is that it keeps for up to 3-4 days in the fridge, so it’s perfect for meal prep. Store in the bowl covered with saran wrap or place in an airtight container.
You can make up a batch at the beginning of the week and eat it for lunch or dinner all throughout the week!

How to Serve
Although it’s great on its own, you may wish to pair these healthy Greek quinoa salad bowls with some extra protein to make them even more of a complete meal! We like it with with these Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs or Chicken Feta Burgers for a simple family-friendly meal, but there are lots of options.
You may also like it over a bed of fresh salad greens, or along with warm pita (try this Protein Pita Bread) or pita chips to make it even more filling and satisfying. It goes great with some Spicy Garlic Hummus, too!
Recipe Variations
- Incorporate more protein: Add chickpeas (garbanzo beans), white beans, lentils, diced chicken, salmon or tuna.
- Make it vegan: Leave out the feta cheese or use vegan feta.
- Add different vegetables: Sun-dried tomatoes, diced red bell peppers, artichoke hearts, spinach or arugula make great additions. For extra healthy fats, try serving it with some fresh avocado, too.
- Add some fresh herbs: Try fresh parsley, oregano, parsley, mint or dill.

More Recipes You’ll Love
- Mini Pita Appetizers
- Asparagus Couscous Salad
- Chickpea Avocado Feta Salad
- Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Chickpea Pesto Pasta Salad
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!

Quick & Easy Greek Quinoa Salad {with Lemon Dressing}
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup dry quinoa, or 2 cups cooked
- 1 1/3 cup of water or broth
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 English cucumber, sliced and quartered
- A quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. You can use broth instead of water for more flavor. Allow to cool.
- Once cool, toss quinoa together with the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta cheese.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dressing.
- Pour desired amount of dressing onto the quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Allow to sit for at least half an hour for optimal flavor.
Video
Notes
- Dice the vegetables into pieces that are roughly the same size. This will allow the flavors to be more evenly distributed throughout the salad.
- I recommend preparing this salad in advance and allowing it to sit in the dressing for at least a half an hour to allow all of the flavors to come together. It tends to taste better the longer that it sits.
- Rinse the quinoa before cooking to help get rid of any bitterness.
- Make up a batch of the quinoa in advance to help this recipe come together really quickly.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in 2019 and it was updated with new photos in June 2021. The text, photos and formatting were updated again in February 2025.
Love it, light tasty and healthy
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind review :)
I have this Quinoa salad in my fridge all the time. Love it..
So good, right?! Happy that it’s become a go-to recipe for you. Thanks so much for returning to leave a review!
Made exactly as recipe indicated and it was excellent. Will keep it on my rotation.
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed the salad! Thanks so much for returning to leave a rating and review :)
Have made this salad a few times. A favourite in our house, like the taste of toasted quinoa
Amazing! So happy you’ve been enjoying the salad! And the toasted quinoa sounds delicious :)
I made this recipe and served it with bar bq hamburgers and it was so good! The salad was so light and refreshing! It tasted even better today when I had it for lunch! Thank you for another great recipe!
That’s awesome Jo! Bet it was delicious with burgers! I totally agree..it always tastes better the next day when all of the flavours have had a chance to combine. Thanks so much for your kind words! :)