This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is loaded with flavor and nutrition including plant-protein, fiber, heart healthy fats, and antioxidants! Who knew eating healthy could taste so good!? This might just be your new favorite lunch or side dish.
Fluffy quinoa mixed with juicy cherry tomatoes, crispy cucumbers, sweet red onions and kalamata olives all combined with a zesty lemon and garlic olive oil dressing.
This quinoa salad pairs great with roasted chickpeas, homemade hummus and tahini yogurt sauce in a Mediterranean Grain Bowl.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love Quinoa Salad
TASTE - Even if you aren’t a quinoa person, this easy quinoa salad might change your mind! It is SO flavorful and zesty. The best part is that the flavor comes from the whole food ingredients leaving no need for a bunch of extra processed stuff.
NUTRITION - quinoa is a complex carbohydrate and complete protein that contains all 9 essential amino acids. It is a source of dietary fiber to leave you feeling satisfied (and keep your gut healthy), and it also contains many nutrients including vitamins and antioxidants.
FRESH FLAVOR - the fresh vegetables coupled with the lemony olive oil dressing used in this quinoa salad make it a great way to add more color to your diet.
LEFTOVERS - who doesn’t love a make once, eat twice recipe?! Make this for dinner with salmon and have a healthy meal for lunch the next day. One way I love to eat my leftovers is in a Mediterranean Bowl!
Ingredients for Quinoa Salad
*Be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe. Below are some ingredients notes.
This healthy quinoa salad recipe uses fresh ingredients!
Salad Ingredients
Quinoa - I use tri-colored quinoa, but you could use any variety you prefer! White quinoa or red quinoa work great, too. If you’re new to cooking quinoa, don’t worry. It’s easy and instructions are provided below.
Cherry Tomatoes - these are perfect because they are sweeter and juicier than most tomatoes and have a thin skin. Tomatoes are also high in antioxidants including lycopene and Vitamin C.
English or Persian Cucumber - I suggest using either an english or persian cucumber because they contain less seeds and have thinner skin than regular cucumbers. This gives them a more crisp and fresh taste.
Red Onion - for a little extra sweetness and zip.
Fresh Herbs - a mixture of fresh parsley and fresh mint add color, flavor, and more nutrition to this simple quinoa salad! I don’t recommend using dried herbs on this one.
Kalamata Olives - to add a complex salty taste and give this a greek quinoa salad flare. Feel free to leave the olives out if you want. I know people either love ‘em or hate ‘em.
Dressing Ingredients
Lemon juice & Extra Virgin Olive Oil - fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil are used as the base in this easy dressing. The combination of these two add a fresh and robust flavor and (you guessed it) extra nutrition! Lemon juice is a source of Vitamin C while Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains oleic acids which are good for brain health, heart health, and hormone health.
Fresh garlic- you’ll be using raw garlic so a little bit goes a long way. Start with one clove and add more to taste. Garlic is an antimicrobial (which is why I often add it to an immunity booster shot). It also contains antioxidants!
Spices - cumin and all spice add all the extra flavor you need!
Salt and black pepper - a great way to to tie all the flavors together!
Directions for Quinoa Salad
*Below are the instructions for how to make Quinoa Salad with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1: To make fluffy quinoa, add rinsed quinoa and cold water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Then lower to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. When quinoa is done cooking, remove it from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 2: While cooking quinoa, dice cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and olives and chop fresh parsley and mint.
Step 3: Make the dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix with a whisk or spoon. Then pour over the top of the veggies and herbs.
Step 4: Add quinoa to the salad mixture. Mix well to combine. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container with a fridge for up to 3-5 days!
Tip: use the instructions on your quinoa packaging. Some quinoa will need to be rinsed before cooking while others will be pre-rinsed.
Substitutions for Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa - if you don’t like quinoa, replace it with brown rice or white rice!
- Veggies - feel free to use your own favorite veggies! Some other options that would go great with this simple salad are red peppers or cauliflower florets.
- Herbs - feel free to substitute the fresh parsley or mint with fresh basil. Add green onion for more flavor!
- Lemon juice - if you prefer the flavor of lime over lemon, use lime juice instead!
Variations for Quinoa Salad
- Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad - transform this cold quinoa salad into a tex-mex version by adding black beans and corn, trading out parsley and mint for fresh cilantro, and replacing lemon juice and olive oil for lime juice and avocado oil.
- Thai Quinoa Salad - love thai food? Check out this recipe by one of my favorite recipe bloggers, Once Upon a Chef.
- Fancy - make this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad even better by adding feta cheese, lemon zest, and homemade hummus or tahini yogurt sauce.
Meal Prep and Storage
Meal Prep
A great way to meal prep this recipe is to make the quinoa ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to make the salad.
Storage
Fridge: store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days. The flavors will soak in and even more enhanced over time.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Expert tips
- When choosing what quinoa to use, go based on your own preference! If you're new to quinoa, it's helpful to note that white quinoa has the most mildly nutty flavor and the flavor is more intense the darker you go. So black quinoa is the strongest flavor and red quinoa is in the middle.
- You will need to rinse your quinoa before cooking it unless the package specifies that no rinse is needed.
- I like to dice the vegetables into small pieces for this recipe!
- Use fresh lemon juice instead of lemon juice from the bottle. It will taste better and worth the small amount of extra effort.
- Find All Spice in the spice section at the grocery store or order it on Amazon.
FAQ
Quinoa is a seed that is classified as a whole grain nutritionally. It is a source of carbohydrates, including 39 grams of carbs and 5 grams of dietary fiber per cup of cooked quinoa!
Yes, quinoa is naturally gluten-free.
You can find quinoa near rice and other ancient grains in the grocery store. It is sometimes in the health food section. It comes in many varieties.
Nutrition in Quinoa
Is quinoa healthy?
Dietitian 101: Let’s talk about some of the nutritional benefits of quinoa! While healthy means something different to everyone, quinoa is a nutrient-rich food that can be used in a variety of recipes.
It is a complex carbohydrate and a source of dietary fiber. Fiber is important for gut health, brain health, and hormone health and can help lower cholesterol and balance blood sugar levels!
Additionally, it is also a source of plant-protein. In fact, it is one of the few grains that is a complete plant protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are the ones that your body cannot produce on its own so you can only get them through diet.
Quinoa is technically a seed, so it is a gluten-free option for those who follow a gf diet. And quinoa is high in many nutrients and vitamins including manganese, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and folate! It also contains antioxidants which are important for overall health and chronic disease prevention.
Suffice it to say, quinoa is a tiny little seed that packs a lot of nutrition and flavor! It’s a great addition to a balanced diet and I hope you enjoy incorporating it into your week with this Quinoa Salad recipe! 😊
Related
Looking for other nourishing recipes like this? Try these:
Looking for Nutrition Education
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian.
📖 Recipe
Quinoa Salad Recipe, Mediterranean Style with Lemon
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
For salad
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa about 2 cups cooked
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes, diced about ½ cup diced
- ½ english cucumber, diced about ½ cup diced
- ½ red onion, diced about ½ cup diced
- 5 kalamata olives, diced
- ½ cup fresh parsley about 2 tablespoon chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint about 1 tablespoon chopped
For dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice juice of one large lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make fluffy quinoa, add rinsed quinoa and cold water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Then lower to a gentle simmer, cover and heat for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. When quinoa is done cooking, remove it from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- While cooking quinoa, dice cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and olives and chop fresh parsley and mint.
- Make the dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix with a whisk or spoon. Pour over the top of the veggies and herbs.
- Add cooked quinoa to the fresh veggie mixture. Mix well to combine. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days!
Notes
-
- When choosing what quinoa to use, go based on your own preference! If you're new to quinoa, it's helpful to note that white quinoa has the most mildly nutty flavor and the flavor is more intense the darker you go. So black quinoa is the strongest flavor and red quinoa is in the middle.
- You will need to rinse your quinoa before cooking it unless the package specifies that no rinse is needed.
- I like to dice the vegetables into small pieces for this recipe!
- Use fresh lemon juice instead of lemon juice from the bottle. It will taste better and worth the small amount of extra effort.
- Find All Spice in the spice section at the grocery store or order it on Amazon.
- Source of plant-protein
- Good source of dietary fiber
- Nutrients including manganese, folate, magnesium, and phosphorus
- Source of antioxidants
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, no added sugars, whole food ingredients
Ashley
Love the dressing! Thanks for sharing.
Mallory
Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review! 🙂 I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, especially the dressing!