Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients
▪ Quinoa, of course! 1 cup dry quinoa yields 3 cups cooked. Find my go-to method
for how to cook quinoa here.
▪ Roasted cherry tomatoes – They add rich savory flavor and yummy chewy
texture to this salad. You’ll need to roast them for a couple of hours on low heat,
until they shrivel around the edges, so be sure to plan ahead.
▪ Persian cucumbers – For crunch!
▪ Red onion – For sharp depth of flavor.
▪ Feta cheese – I love its creamy texture and tangy flavor in this quinoa salad recipe,
but feel free to skip it if you’re vegan.
▪ Kalamata olives – I’m an olive convert! For years, I avoided olives, but their briny,
salty flavor takes this salad to a whole new level.
▪ Toasted pine nuts and roasted chickpeas – They add protein, nutty flavor, and
lots of crunch.
▪ Arugula and mixed herbs – They make this salad nice and fresh! I like to use a
variety of leafy herbs here, such as mint, parsley, oregano, thyme, and/or basil.
▪ Italian dressing – Bright, tangy, and flecked with (more) herbs, it ties the whole
salad together!

Quinoa Salad Variations

This healthy quinoa salad recipe is delicious as-written, but that doesn’t mean you can’t
play with it! Have fun customizing it based on what you’re craving or what you have on
hand. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

▪ Make it vegan. Skip the cheese! Add a few extra olives or roasted tomatoes to amp
up the savory flavor, and serve the salad with sliced avocado, a big scoop
of hummus, or dollops of vegan pesto.
▪ Switch the grain. Instead of quinoa, use farro or Israeli couscous. It won’t be a
quinoa salad anymore, but it’ll still taste delicious.
▪ Swap the dressing. Replace the Italian dressing with Greek salad
dressing or lemon vinaigrette.
▪ Mix up the veggies. Substitute chopped spinach or massaged kale for the arugula,
or skip the greens entirely. Instead, stir in a cup of roasted broccoli or 1/2
cup roasted red bell peppers.
▪ Try a different cheese. Don’t like feta? Crumbled goat cheese would be great here
too.

Best Quinoa Salad Recipe Tips

▪ Cook the quinoa ahead of time. The quinoa should be cool or at room
temperature when you toss this salad together. If it’s too warm, it’ll wilt the
arugula and fresh herbs. Instead of cooking it when you’re ready to assemble the
salad, cook it at least an hour and up to 2 days in advance. And while you’re at it,
roast the tomatoes! They’ll need to bake for 2.5-3 hours to get really tart and
chewy.
▪ Pack it for lunch. This Mediterranean quinoa salad is a fantastic make-ahead
lunch! It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, so make a big batch for lunches
all week. For the best flavor, store some of the fresh herbs separately and scatter
them on right before you eat. I also recommend seasoning to taste with salt,
pepper, and/or an extra squeeze of lemon juice after this salad has spent a few
days in the fridge. Check out this post for more of my best meal prep tips and this
one for more healthy lunch ideas!
▪ Or enjoy it for dinner. Serve this quinoa salad recipe as a side dish with classic
cookout fare like veggie burgers, black bean burgers, portobello mushroom
burgers, or BBQ jackfruit sandwiches. It’s also a lovely vegetarian main dish.
Round out the meal with grilled veggie skewers, grilled eggplant, grilled
zucchini, or sautéed yellow squash.