Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with tomato, cucumber, feta cheese and olives. Packed with protein, fiber and so much flavour!
If you love quinoa like we do, check out quinoa tabbouleh, kale and quinoa salad and Southwest quinoa salad. Our favourites!
Best Ever Quinoa Salad
Mediterranean quinoa salad with tomato, cucumber, feta cheese and Kalamata olives. Packed with protein, fiber and flavor it makes easy healthy dinner, to meal prep for the week (place in Mason jars for lunches) or bring this phenomenal salad to a potluck!
Hooray for summer salad recipes when we can eat a salad and don’t feel cold! Especially for quinoa salad recipes. Pronounced “keenwah”, is one of few plant-based foods that is a source of complete protein that contains 9 essential amino acids, high in fiber, manganese and has low glycemic index.
From quinoa casserole, to quinoa bread, to quinoa granola bars, to chocolate quinoa muffins, this wholesome seed can be enjoyed for breakfast, dinner and dessert.
Ingredients for Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
This easy quinoa salad is a spin off of a Greek salad recipe. You can wing it depending on the contents in your fridge.
- Quinoa: White or tri-colour quinoa. Red quinoa is too hearty and chewy for a veggie salad and is best for quinoa black bean salad.
- Veggies: Tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado (fruit), red onion.
- Olives: Just like with Greek salad, you can use pitted Kalamata olives (I did) or green olives.
- Feta cheese: I recommend to buy a block of feta and crumble yourself to avoid anti-caking agents. Crumbled goat cheese would work too.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Least processed olive oil with most health benefits that is best to be consumed raw.
- Acid: Use lemon or lime juice, red wine or white wine vinegar.
- Fresh herbs: They add another layer of flavor. Parsley, green onion or cilantro work beautifully in this fresh salad.
How to Make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Any quinoa salad recipe is the best way to use up leftover quinoa. If you don’t happen to have any, you can cook quinoa 2 ways.
- 2 ways to cook quinoa: I personally like to cook quinoa with a ratio of 1 cup dry quinoa to 1.5 cups water. Unlike most packages that state 1:2 ratio. Bring to a boil, cook on low for 12 minutes, then let stand for 5 minutes while you prep other salad ingredients. If you need more details, check our step by step tutorial. Or make Instant Pot quinoa.
- Prep and combine other ingredients: Get large salad bowl. Chop tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, avocado and parsley; add them to the bowl along with olives. Crumble cheese and drizzle oil and vinegar, sprinkle cumin, salt and pepper over all ingredients.
- Add cooked quinoa and mix: If quinoa is freshly cooked, it is hot or warm. Add it more to the side of a bowl and let cool down for 5 minutes, not forgetting to fluff with a fork previously. Then stir salad with a large slotted spoon until combined.
How to Store and Make Ahead
Storing: The beauty of this Mediterranean salad is that it tastes better with each day. As grains soak up the olive oil, cumin and lemon juices, salad gains more and more flavor. I would say it is good for up to 3 days refrigerated.
Make ahead: Add all ingredients, except oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin, to a large salad bowl and do not mix. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, add seasonings skipped previously, then stir and serve.
More Favorite Quinoa Recipes
- Broccoli quinoa salad
- Blueberry quinoa salad
- Quinoa falafel
- Instant Pot ground turkey quinoa bowls
- Chicken quinoa bowls
Also make sure to check out this collection of popular quinoa recipes.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa dry
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 1/2 long English cucumber chopped
- 1 large bell pepper chopped
- 2 large avocado chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion minced
- 1/2 cup parsley or cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 20 Kalamata olives pitted
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 lemon or lime juice of
- 1 tbsp cumin ground
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook quinoa as per package instructions. Or follow my step by step tutorial.
- Cook quinoa on the stove: I personally like to cook quinoa with a ratio of 1 cup dry quinoa to 1.5 cups water. Unlike most packages that state 1:2 ratio. Bring to a boil, cook on low for 12 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes and fluff. This way quinoa comes out less mushy.
- Cook quinoa in Instant Pot: Instant Pot quinoa. It takes 30 seconds of prep and I walk away. Quinoa comes out fluffy and each grain separate after 9 minutes.
- In a large salad bowl, add tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, onion, cilantro, feta cheese, olives, lime juice, oil, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Fluff quinoa with a fork and add to the bowl. Stir gently to combine and serve cold or warm.
Storing: The beauty of this quinoa cucumber feta salad is that it tastes better with each day. As grains soak up the olive oil, cumin and lemon juices, salad gains more and more flavor. I would say it is good for up to 3 days refrigerated.
Make ahead: Add all ingredients, except oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin, to a large salad bowl and do not mix. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, add seasonings skipped previously, then stir and serve.
Notes
- Quinoa: White or tri-colour quinoa. Red quinoa is too hearty and chewy for a salad. Pronounced "keenwah", is one of few plant-based foods that is a source of complete protein that contains 9 essential amino acids, high in fiber, manganese and has low glycemic index.
- Leftover cooked quinoa: Quinoa lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days. I often use dinner leftovers to make salads. You can also cook a bunch of quinoa in advance, freeze and thaw as needed. Perfect thing to do in summer.
- Veggies: Tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado (fruit), red onion.
- Olives: I use pitted Kalamata olives. Green olives are OK as well.
- Feta cheese: I recommend to buy a block of feta and crumble yourself to avoid anti-caking agents. Crumbled goat cheese would work too.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Least processed olive oil with most health benefits that is best to be consumed raw.
- Acid: Use lemon or lime juice, red wine or white wine vinegar.
- Fresh herbs: They add another layer of flavor. Parsley, green onion or cilantro work beautifully in this fresh salad.
Nutrition
Recipes and images are a copyright of ifoodreal.com. It is against the law to republish recipes anywhere including social media, print and all world wide web. Nutritional info is provided for informational purposes only and to the best knowledge.
I Loved the best when you are diabetes
Had this recipe on my list ‘To try’ for few months already. Made it today with Greek chicken, so good!
Was the perfect combination! Both will be back in our plates 😁
Happy you finally made the recipe and you liked it Marie!
Another salad we really enjoyed.Adding the quinoa was a fantastic idea. Love this ingedient and we will be making this one again too! Thanks for sharing.:-)
This recipe is the best quinoa salad I’ve had. Wonderful flavor! I added some left over garbanzo beans and used goat cheese, since that’s what I had on hand. This is what’s for dinner tonight! Thank you!
You are so welcome Lisa!
As usual, a brilliant recipe. I cooked the quinoa in a pressure cooker, so easy. Only the second time I’ve cooked it. Before I followed the packet instructions and managed to burn it!
Thank you for such a great review Nick! Glad the quinoa turned out perfect in your pressure cooker.
I loved It!!!, great salad perfect with a salmon or any fish… 🙂
Awesome!!! Happy to hear, Alejandra.
Loved it. Added less cumin and less quinoa, perfect for me
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Carolyn.
Delish! Made it with all the ingredients mentioned & it turned out yummy!
Thank you!
You are very welcome Carmen!
Love this healthy salad recipe, I keep going back for more. Delicious!
Woohoo! That’s great Tamara!
Made this and love it! Now that’s it’s getting hot I can make this without turning on the stove. Bursting with fresh flavor, filling and satisfying.
SO happy you liked this salad Alisabeth!
Really enjoyed this Salad; I have made it twice already. Cooked the Quinoa in my Instant Pot, so fast and easy It came out perfect.
That’s great Kathy!
I made this yesterday for dinner. Wow! It’s delish!!! We aren’t huge fans of cumin, so I added a couple small shakes of it, but added sumac instead. It was fantastic! My hubby and son left no crumbs! A true hit! I’ve had requests to make is again this week. Thanks for the recipe!
So awesome to hear how much this recipe was enjoyed by your family Rosa!
We’re having this for dinner tonight. Wow, is it yummy! I cut waaaaay down on the cumin. I think I only added a couple of small shakes of cumin. I added a spice I like more, sumac, to the dressing. My picky husband devoured it! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Spices can always be adjusted to your personal liking!
Question for you Olena.
My husband doesn’t like cumin. I tried to put 1/2, even 1/3 of the quantity, each time he tells me there’s a spice he doesn’t like.
Do you have remplacement(s) to suggest?
Thank you!
I always hear about picky husbands. We should let them cook… 🙂 JK. What spicy spice does he like? Chili powder, taco seasoning, curry powder would be great. Good luck! 🙂
Good ideas, thank you!
Yes we should let them cook??
Have you tried omitting the cumin all together and using Sumac? I like Sumac so much more! I leave out anything my family doesn’t like. I’d rather substitute with something they do. I’m with your hubby though….I’m not a fan of cumin. 🙂
I don’t know sumac at all. I’ll look for it, thank you Rosa.
I did make this salad this week, without cumin, no replacement, and it was still delicious! ?
I made one mistake.. I prepared it the day before, added all ingredients including avocado which turned out very mushy. I will add just before serving next time.
Forgot to put my stars, it’s definitely a fiver?
Very good, had to substitute with goat cheese and green olives, and sadly no fresh herbs but it was still delicious!!
Great recipe. Made it this summer and had to make it again because we ate the first round so fast. Will make this again!
Yay. I have a few more coming out this summer. Also try black bean quinoa salad. It is super hearty.
Good stuff. I added chick peas and only 1 avocado. It was a hit
Excellent salad! easy to make and very yummy!
Yay. I have super awesome one coming tomorrow. Similar but different.
This salad is good. For my taste, the cumin was a little overpowering and I use cumin in other recipes. Next time I will put in less. Overall, very easy to make and quick.
This salad was so good. I added a bit of sun-dried tomatoes and we really enjoyed it.
Just made this and OMG…YUUUUUUM!!! Love quinoa and love these flavors. Thanks for this
🙂 I have the same reaction to all quinoa salads.:) Glad you liked it.
Has anyone made this a day in advance or is it better to combine on the serving day?
Either or works. The salad doesn’t become soggy the next day.
Just made this recipe, it was delicious. The whole family loved it and it’s all gone.
Just made this recipe. Wonderful. Definitely will make again and again! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome, Pam! I make this one quite often too.
I’m gonna try your recipe. I cook quinoa is bulk in my electric pressure cooker & freeze in 1 C portions so I’m never without it. Even feed it to my parrots.
Gotta keep your loved ones healthy too.:)