Healthy recipe: Mediterranean quinoa salad

It's easy to make, high in protein, full of nutrients, and most importantly, it's delicious.

Photo byzstockphotos/Depositphotos.com

This Mediterranean quinoa salad is essentially a Greek salad with quinoa and chickpeas thrown in for protein, making it a complete meal. You can prepare it ahead and pack it for lunch or serve it as a side with dinner.

My favorite thing to do with this recipe is to make a large batch and serve it as a side alongside baked chicken breasts for dinner. Then I have plenty of leftover salad for lunch the rest of the week.

I first had this salad years ago from Whole Foods and loved it so much that I decided to recreate it at home. My version is packed full of diced cucumbers, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.

Before we get to the recipe, let's talk about quinoa

Photo byAntonMatyukha/Depositphotos.com

In the past, this ancient grain may have been hard to find in grocery stores, but it's much easier to find today. Usually, you will spot it in the grain section next to the rice.

It has a reputation as a superfood because it's packed with nutrients. One cup of quinoa has 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. It's also a great source of folate, magnesium, zinc, and iron.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• fresh basil, chiffonade (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the quinoa in a strainer under cold water for about a minute.
2. Add the quinoa and water to a medium pan and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes.
5. While the quinoa is cooking, start prepping the veggies.
6. Mix the cooled quinoa, red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, basil, and feta cheese in a large bowl.
7. Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
8. Add dressing to the quinoa mixture and toss well.

Final Notes

• This is a versatile recipe. Feel free to swap ingredients. If there is an ingredient you don't like, you can leave it out.
• Try sun-dried tomatoes in place of grape tomatoes.
• Chopped avocado makes a nice addition.
• Rinsing the quinoa before cooking helps remove any bitterness.
• If you want to cut back on fat, use fewer olives or skip them entirely.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/6 recipe: 357 calories, 21 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 11 mg of cholesterol (per My Fitness Pal)

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