This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is the light and tasty side dish you need this summer. A simple mix of quinoa, a few veggies, some Mediterranean staples, and a zesty lemon dressing is all it takes.
It’s a perfect dish for those sultry grilling nights when you have some chicken or pork chops over the fire.
And it’s a great alternative to the usual old pasta or potato salads at potlucks. Give this one a try tonight, and see how easy these flavors come together.
Lately, we’ve been eating a lot of quinoa.
Not just because it tastes good and is good for you. You see, we have a ton of it from when Jason’s mom went through her big quinoa phase and ordered it in bulk.
The novelty wore off, and we were the beneficiaries. All good. It’s very versatile, and we’ve gotten to experiment with it and cook up some great recipes that will be coming your way.
To start things off, we have this easy Mediterranean quinoa salad. It has become one of our favorite ways to cook this recently trendy grain.
Why You’ll Love This Quinoa Salad
- It’s a great side dish for when the days get hot. Heavy, mayo-based salads may be popular at potlucks, but is much lighter.
- You can whip it up in no time. Quinoa is a very quick cooking grain, and is very forgiving.
- It’s a super healthy salad. Seriously, there’s really not anything bad in there.
- Those Mediterranean flavors, along with the variety of textures, are divine…
Ingredients For Our Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa
- Veggies – cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula
- Roasted chickpeas (see recipe card for roasting instructions)
- Kalamata olives
- Feta cheese
- Pine nuts
- Fresh herbs – mint and basil
- Dressing – extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, fresh parsley, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
What to Serve With Mediterranean Quinoa Salad?
Our top choice would be grilled chicken, pork, or seafood.
This salad, along with our Chicken Souvlaki and a side of Tzatziki or Hummus, would make a perfect Mediterranean themed dinner.
If you’re not in the grilling mood, try it with our Greek Keftedes. They’re tasty little pan fried meatballs that would go great with this salad.
Can Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Yes, you can absolutely prepare it a day in advance.
For best textures, I would recommend keeping the dressing separate, as well as the roasted chick peas and pine nuts. Simply toss everything together once ready to serve.
Variations
This versatile quinoa salad can go great with a number of other add-ins. Our top contenders would be…
- Marinated artichoke hearts
- Sundried tomatoes (jarred in oil, not dry)
- Raw or roasted bell peppers
- Pepperoncini
- Roasted garlic
Or, make it a complete meal by adding grilled diced chicken or shrimp.
Make this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad your new go-to summer side dish. It tastes great, is very healthy, and it goes with so many different things.
Bring it to your next cookout or potluck. We bet the bowl will be emptied in no time, and the guests will be asking for your recipe.
Pin or bookmark this great summertime recipe so you always know where to find it. And be sure to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new easy recipes for you!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great summer side dishes!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Cherry Tomato Confit
Avocado Tomato Pesto Salad
Creole Coleslaw
Pipirrana Salad
Mango Salsa
Caponata
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is the light and tasty side dish you need this summer. It’s a perfect dish for those sultry grilling nights when you have some chicken or pork chops over the fire.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2-3 cups cooked quinoa
- 8oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly torn
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 3/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
Roasted chickpeas
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and patted dry (see note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to directions on the package.
- Roast chickpeas as follows:
a. Preheat oven to 400°F.
b. Dry canned chickpeas well with paper towel. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and red chili flakes.
c. Spread chickpeas on greased baking skeet and bake 30 minutes. - Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium low heat for a minute or two, being careful not to let them scorch.
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Mix all salad ingredients, along with chickpeas, together in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss in dressing.
Notes
- Go ahead and roast the entire can of chickpeas, whatever doesn't go in the salad is great for munching!
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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