Get ready for a flavour explosion in your mouth! This Greek Quinoa Salad is loaded with delicious Mediterranean-inspired flavours and is perfect for meal prep as it tastes better the longer that it sits! Easy to make and great for those barbecues, picnics and weeknight meals! (gluten-free & vegetarian)
If you’ve tried quinoa on its own, you probably know that it’s generally pretty bland. But one thing I’ve discovered is that when you add a bunch of delicious Greek flavours in there, it suddenly comes to life!
This Greek quinoa salad is so quick and easy to make and loaded with bright Mediterranean flavours. It’s great to serve as a side dish, but also hearty enough to enjoy for an easy lunch or dinner served with pita chips or over a bed of greens.
It’s fresh and zingy and full of fresh and wholesome ingredients.
Be sure to also try my Spiralized Greek Cucumber Salad and Mediterranean Lentil Salad!
Table of Contents
Why Make this recipe
- Make ahead: This cold quinoa salad is perfect for meal prep! Make up a big batch and enjoy it throughout the week. It tends to taste better the longer that it sits!
- Healthy: Quinoa is a great source of fibre and antioxidants. Unlike some other plant-based protein sources, quinoa is considered to be a complete protein, which means that it contains all nine essential amino acids. This salad is also loaded with fresh veggies for a whole load of additional nutrients.
- Quick and easy: You can make up a big batch of this salad in less than 30 minutes with a few simple ingredients. If you use pre-cooked quinoa, it comes together super quickly!
Ingredient Notes
For the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa: Quinoa is a gluten-free grain 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.
- Cucumber: You can use English or Persian cucumbers for this quinoa salad. They add a great burst of freshness.
- Cherry tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes for this recipe. They’re nice and sweet and you just have to slice them in half and add to the other ingredients. You can also use grape or Roma tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
- Red onion: Red onion is milder and less acidic than yellow or white onions so can be enjoyed raw in salads. You can also use green onions.
- Kalamata olives: Kalamata olives have a meatier texture and more fruity flavour compared to black olives which can be quite salty. You can sub in black olives if desired.
- Feta cheese: This Greek cheese adds a great briny and creamy flavour to the salad. 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 flavour. Regular will do the job too though.
- Lemon juice: Adds a zesty flavour to the dressing. For best results, use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled.
- 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: Use freshly minced garlic for the best flavour.
Step by Step Instructions
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Cook quinoa according to package directions. You can use broth instead of water to incorporate more flavour. Allow to cool.
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Once cool, toss quinoa together with the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta cheese.
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In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dressing.
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Pour desired amount of dressing onto the quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Allow to sit for at least half an hour for optimal flavour.
Recipe Tips for this Quinoa Salad with Feta
- Dice the vegetables into pieces that are roughly the same size. This will allow the flavours to be more evenly distributed throughout the salad.
- I recommend preparing this Greek quinoa salad in advance and letting it sit in the dressing for at least a half an hour to allow all of the flavours 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.
Recipe FAQs
How to make fluffy 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 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 flavour) 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.
Do you need to soak quinoa before cooking?
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 flavours can leach into the grains. Instead, simply rinse it under cold running water in a fine mesh sieve before cooking it.
How do you quickly cool cooked quinoa?
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.
Do you serve this quinoa salad warm or cold?
This salad can be served either warm or cold. Both ways are delicious!
How to store
The good news about this salad is that it keeps for up to four days in the fridge, so it’s perfect for meal prep. Store in the bowl covered with saran wrap or place in an air-tight container.
You can make up a batch at the beginning of the week and eat it for lunch or dinner all throughout the week!
Serving suggestions
Although it’s great on its own, you may wish to pair the salad with some extra protein to make it even more of a complete meal!
Here are some protein-rich ideas to serve on the side:
- Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs
- Dijon Mustard Salmon with Walnuts
- Fish with Easy Lemon Garlic Sauce
- Parmesan Crusted Cod
You may also wish to serve it over a bed of greens, or along with warm pita or pita chips to make it even more filling and satisfying.
Recipe variations
- Incorporate more protein: Add chickpeas, lentils, diced chicken, salmon or tuna
- Use different grains: Instead of quinoa, try regular or Israeli couscous, pasta, farro, or rice
- Add different vegetables: Try sun-dried tomatoes, diced bell peppers, spinach or arugula
- Add some herbs: Try fresh or dried oregano, parsley, mint or dill
More similar recipes
- Greek Lentil Tabbouleh Salad
- Mini Greek Pita Pizzas
- Pearl Couscous Salad with Roasted Asparagus and Chickpeas
- Chickpea Avocado Feta Salad
- Steak and Avocado Salad
- Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Healthy Pasta Salad
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Greek Quinoa Salad
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 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. You can use broth instead of water for more flavour. 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 flavour.
Video
Notes
- Dice the vegetables into pieces that are roughly the same size. This will allow the flavours 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 flavours 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 April 2019 and was updated in June 2021 to include more helpful tips and photos.
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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! :)