Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- Quinoa
- 1½ cups 270g dry quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
- 3 cups 720ml vegetable stock or water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Salad
- 1 large English cucumber diced
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ red onion very finely diced and soaked
- 1 cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 200 g 7 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup baby spinach or chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves roughly torn
- Optional: 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- Optional: ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- Lemon Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 small clove garlic very finely grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water for 30 seconds. Cook with vegetable stock and salt over low heat, covered, for 13 to 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and steam covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a tray to cool completely.
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together until emulsified. Taste and adjust until bright, tangy, and herby.
- Soak diced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Dress the cooled quinoa with half the dressing and toss well before adding anything else.
- Add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, bell pepper, and chickpeas. Toss to combine.
- Pour remaining dressing over the salad. Toss and taste. Adjust seasoning.
- Fold in feta, spinach or parsley, and mint gently at the very end.
- Finish with extra feta, fresh mint, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Notes
- Always rinse quinoa — saponin makes it taste bitter and soapy without rinsing
- Cook in stock, not water — stock adds a layer of flavor that the quinoa absorbs completely
- Cool quinoa completely before assembling — hot quinoa wilts everything immediately
- Dress quinoa first on its own before adding other ingredients for maximum flavor absorption
- Soak red onion in cold water — removes the harsh raw bite in 5 minutes
- Fold feta in gently at the end — aggressive tossing dissolves it into the dressing
- Better the next day — make ahead for deeper flavor and a more cohesive result
- Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container
- Add fresh lemon juice and olive oil before serving to refresh the flavor
- Fully gluten-free with no substitutions required