Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Need to feel the sunshine of the Mediterranean to cheer you up during the long days of winter? The flavors of the Mediterranean are so fresh and so very good for you! Eating this salad takes you to the warm shores of Greece and the laid back feeling of summer.

Glorious weather! I’m feeling very lucky to be in sunny San Diego in January! We’ve had several days of mid 70 degree weather and it makes me want to grill. Chicken artichoke sausages and quinoa salad tossed with the flavors of a traditional Greek salad sounds mighty good to me right about now!

When a salad is so flavorful you forget it’s healthy and just immerse yourself in the freshness, what could be better? Salty kalamata olives play against the sweet grape tomatoes.  The crunch of an English cucumber and the earthy flavor of parsley come together beautifully when squeeze with the bright, fresh tartness of lemon. Can you feel the sunshine on your shoulders yet? Dig in and let the sunny feeling wash over you!

Rinse quinoa

Rinse quinoa under cold water in a fine mesh strainer and set aside.

Saute onions and garlic

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
 
Add quinoa
 
Add the quinoa and coat the grains in the onion butter toasting for several minutes. I used Tricolor Quinoa mostly because it’s so pretty. Golden quinoa will work just fine too.
 
Broth to
 
Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until moisture is absorbed and quinoa is tender but retains a slight crunch.
 Seed cucumber
 
Remove the seeds from the cucumber with a teaspoon.
 Veggies
 
Chop the veggies in bite size pieces.
 
Lemon to warm quinoa
 
Squeeze the lemon juice over the warm quinoa.
 
Veggies to quinoa
 
Add parsley, grape tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, lemon zest and toss to mix. Use a fork to keep the grains separated. Serve warm or chilled.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Serves 6
Write a review
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
262 calories
31 g
41 g
8 g
18 g
2 g
365 g
105 g
7 g
0 g
5 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
365g
Servings
6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 262
Calories from Fat 71
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g
12%
Saturated Fat 2g
12%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 41mg
14%
Sodium 105mg
4%
Total Carbohydrates 31g
10%
Dietary Fiber 6g
24%
Sugars 7g
Protein 18g
Vitamin A
46%
Vitamin C
75%
Calcium
6%
Iron
16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
  1. 1 tablespoon butter
  2. 1/2 small onion, chopped
  3. 1 clove of garlic, minced
  4. 1 cup rinsed, uncooked quinoa (I used Trader Joe's Tricolor Quinoa)
  5. 1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  6. 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  7. 1 cup English cucumber, seeded and cut in large dice
  8. 12 grape tomatoes, quartered
  9. 10 kalamata olives, packed in water (not oil), rough chopped
  10. Zest of 1 lemon
  11. Juice of 1 fresh lemon
Instructions
  1. Rinse quinoa under cold water in a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
  2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the quinoa and coat the grains in the onion butter toasting for several minutes.
  4. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until moisture is absorbed and quinoa is tender but retains a slight crunch.
  5. Remove the seeds from the cucumber with a teaspoon.
  6. Chop the veggies in bite size pieces.
  7. Squeeze the lemon juice over the warm quinoa.
  8. Add parsley, grape tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, lemon zest and toss to mix. Use a fork to keep the grains separated. Serve warm or chilled.
beta
calories
262
fat
8g
protein
18g
carbs
31g
more
Life of the Party Always! https://lifeofthepartyalways.com/

 

2 Comments

  1. Ann says:

    looks so delicious have to try it. also where did you get your colander to rinse the Quinoa ? I’ve been looking for one just like that . Thanks Ann

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back To Top

";