Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. A versatile healthy and very nutritious recipe that can be served hot as a side dish or cold as a terrific alternative to pasta salad.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
Originally published January 2013.
This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe shows that quinoa seems to be everywhere these days… and for good reason. It is a high protein, low-fat, gluten free and is also high in essential minerals like iron and magnesium.
We have been using it for a while now at our house as a more nutritious substitute for rice and sometimes pasta. I actually prefer the taste and firmer texture to rice or couscous.

Uncooked Quinoa Seeds
This recipe is one that we always made with couscous and have now adapted to quinoa. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be served hot or cold. We served it hot as a side dish with some chicken souvlaki and tzatziki last week.

Kalamata Olives are used in this recipe but you can substitute any you have on hand.
The leftovers were served as a cold quinoa salad the next day and was just as delicious. For extra flavour we sometimes add some crumbled feta cheese too.
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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. A versatile healthy and very nutritious recipe that can be served hot as a side dish or cold as a terrific alternative to pasta salad.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup diced bell peppers
- 2 diced tomatoes
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- FOR THE LEMON OREGANO DRESSING
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- juice and finely minced zest of one lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bring the water, salt and quinoa to a boil over low heat.
- Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the grains are cooked but still a little firm to the bite.
- Remove from heat and add the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, olives and green onion.
- Toss everything together with the Lemon Oregano Dressing.
For the Lemon Oregano Dressing
- Whisk together the olive oil, honey, lemon zest, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Pour over the salad while warm and toss very well.
Notes
Can be served as a hot side dish or as a cold lunch or side salad.
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Recommended Products
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
6 servingsAmount Per Serving Calories 215Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 0mgSodium 606mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 5gSugar 9gProtein 3g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Mary
Monday 16th of January 2023
With this tasty dressing you could put anything you like in the salad and it would taste fabulous. What’s not to like!!
Beth Dubeau
Monday 16th of January 2023
Have made this before-makes a large batch and is delicious
Pat
Thursday 29th of September 2022
I made this as a side for dinner. Used what I had...red quinoa, vadalia onion, cucumber, tomatoes and grated carrot fine. Couldn't find my jar of honey so used granulated sugar. I've got to say it was tasty, even hubby had seconds and he never had quinoa before quinoa is very good for you). The dressing I will be making in a larger quanitity...it reminds me of the dressing my late friend made, veg. oil, vinegar, sugar, oregano, s/p.
11 Dairy-Free Meals
Wednesday 1st of September 2021
[…] Mediterranean Quinoa Salad A versatile healthy and very nutritious recipe that can be served hot as a side dish or cold as a terrific alternative to pasta salad. Check out this recipe […]
susan wade
Wednesday 2nd of June 2021
This was delicious! Everyone loved it! We added some grilled chicken to the leftovers for a wonderful lunch the next day. Definitely a make again!