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Greek Quinoa Salad is a crowd pleasing choice when you’re searching for a hearty dish to share at a BBQ, potluck or picnic! Think of a classic Greek Salad with the added heft of delicious quinoa to make it a meal on its own. It travels beautifully, is just as delicious at room temperature as it is cold, straight from the refrigerator, and holds up for days. So it’s perfect for get-togethers and weekday lunches too!
This recipe is a riff on my Greek Farro Salad, with all of the same mouthwatering ingredients like vine ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, olives, capers, feta cheese, sweet bell pepper, and tangy Greek Salad Dressing, but with quinoa as a base instead of farro. It’s great for people on a gluten free diet (brands vary on this, so make sure to read the package label), and great for people who love quinoa, like me!
Table of Contents
Quinoa is a wonder seed that happens to be a complete protein, a rarity among plants. It’s also high in vitamins and minerals and has that adorable little curlicue in the middle when it’s cooked. Most of all, I love it’s nutty flavor and delicate crunch!
How to Cook Quinoa
Quinoa has a natural coating that can cause a bitter or soapy flavor, so it’s important to rinse before cooking (read more about it here). Rinsed quinoa takes about 15 minutes to cook, covered in simmering water, and another 5 minutes or so off of the heat to become fully tender. Then uncover and fluff with a fork before serving. Follow package instructions for exact directions.
Note that you’ll want the quinoa to cool at least to room temperature before assembling this salad.
Give this Greek Quinoa Salad a try for your next weekly meal plan or get-together and I bet it will become a staple salad in your house just like it is in ours!
Other Delicious Main Course Salads
How to Make Greek Quinoa Salad
Step 1: Combine vinegar, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
Step 2: Add quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, shallot, olives, capers, oregano and feta; gently toss to combine. Serve.
Greek Quinoa Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil or more
- 3 cups cooked quinoa cooled (about 1 cup dry)
- 4 medium plum tomatoes diced
- 2 medium cucumbers diced (peeled if necessary)
- 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium shallot thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 24 pitted kalamata olives halved (or pitted Greek olive mix)
- 1 tablespoon capers rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 6 ounces feta cheese finely diced or crumbled
Instructions
- In the bottom of a large salad bowl, whisk together vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Continue whisking while you add olive oil in a slow steady stream; whisk until emulsified. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Add quinoa, and next 8 ingredients (tomatoes through feta) to bowl; gently toss to coat and combine. Serve.
Notes
- Note that preparation time does not include cooking quinoa or allowing it to cool. Always rinse quinoa until the water runs clear before cooking.
- This salad travels well and holds up for a few days in the refrigerator – perfect for weekday desk lunches!
- The dressing for this salad is essentially a half recipe of Greek Salad Dressing, a staple in our house!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is outstanding! I could eat these flavors everyday, and this makes a perfect weekday lunch. I also plan to try this with other grains…farro and buckwheat.
Thank you, Marsha! And great idea to try this salad with different grains.
This was delicious! I substituted farro for the quinoa but for everything else, I followed the recipe. Healthy and perfect for weekday lunches too! I will definitely be making your the Greek dressing for green salads as well. Thank you!
That’s fantastic, Samantha! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
Oh yum, Marissa! I’m in love with this salad! My favorite flavors and really digging the quinoa!
Thanks, Kelly!
Love addition of quinoa to this salad and of course, love all the Greek flavors! Yum!
Thanks so much, Kevin!