The Greek style salad, a salad with juicy tomatoes and cucumbers, tangy red onions, and salty kalamata olives and feta in a lemon and oregano vinaigrette, has to be one of my favourites and it is so easy to turn it into a light and yet satisfying meal with the addition of quinoa (or a whole grain) along with some chickpeas! I always enjoy using quinoa in salads like this since it is such a nice source of protein, especially when combined with a bean, and it really makes for a salad that eats like a meal. I particularly enjoy this quinoa and chickpea salad because of all of the wonderful Mediterranean flavours where the juicy tomatoes and cucumbers play brilliantly with the salty olives and feta. Another wonderful thing about this salad is how versatile it is, I always have fun changing up the ingredients and some more that work well are roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and even cool and creamy avocados!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
A Mediterranean inspired quinoa salad with juicy tomatoes and cucumbers along with tangy red onions and salty kalamata olives and feta.
ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup tomato, sliced
- 1 cup cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans, from 1/2 cup dry)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (~1 lemon) or red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the temperature to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes, and let sit covered for 5 minutes before letting it cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Mix the quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, feta and chickpeas and toss in the mixture of the lemon juice, oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
Tip: Cook the quinoa a day ahead to save time.
Option: Add other Mediterranean inspired ingredients like roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts or even avocados.
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Rosa's Yummy Yums says
January 9, 2014 at 2:03 pmA beautiful salad! So colorful, healthy and delicious.
Cheers,
Rosa
Jillian Manesh says
January 9, 2014 at 2:12 pmyum! all of my favorite flavors in one dish! xo jillian
Barbara Bakes says
January 9, 2014 at 3:21 pmWhat a great way to change up Greek Salad.
Anonymous says
January 9, 2014 at 4:31 pmGreek style pasta salad is a staple in my household throughout the Summer. Will give this version a try.
Katrina @ WVS says
January 9, 2014 at 9:34 pmI could eat that whole bowl right now!!
Scott says
January 9, 2014 at 10:32 pmI make something very similar to this. All this needs is some mint!
Tieghan says
January 10, 2014 at 4:59 amI adore these flavors! I could this everyday!
Joanne says
January 10, 2014 at 12:35 pmAll the bright flavors in this are so perfect for getting back on the healthy track!!
Anonymous says
January 11, 2014 at 9:43 amI think you forgot the Avocado ????
Anonymous says
January 12, 2014 at 1:48 amI was short on quinoa so used a bit of wild rice. Chose to use edamame instead of cucumbers (and used the red wine vinegar instead of lemon.)
Fantastic.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
January 12, 2014 at 5:54 pmWhat a gorgeous, vibrant salad!
Nancy Long says
January 13, 2014 at 3:11 amsounds great, but as much as I love hummus, not a fan of chickpeas so will maybe use white or maybe black beans instead
Jessica says
February 22, 2014 at 12:28 amThanks for the great recipe. Made it tonight and it was delicious!
littlelaura says
March 10, 2014 at 11:14 pmDelicious! What is the serving size that corresponds with the nutritional values listed? Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I think it will be my new potluck staples!
kevin says
March 17, 2014 at 11:20 pmlittlelaura: I am glad that you enjoyed it! Each serving should be about 12 ounces.
Katherine says
June 20, 2014 at 10:28 pmThis was sooooo delicious. Oh my god.
Carrie says
September 27, 2014 at 6:04 pmThis is amazing – I've been looking for a good greek quinoa salad (mimicking what I get at Whole Foods from the salad bar) and this recipe is it! I love it.
Lacey says
January 22, 2019 at 1:57 pmI made this salad to take for my lunches this week. It’s very simple and tasty and you can really experiment with your add-ins. I added mint this time, but I could totally see adding avocados one time. With salads like these, I don’t rely heavily on measuring (except the quinoa), and I usually eyeball the veggies. Delicious and healthy!