I was never been a fan of quinoa until last summer when my sister made a dish that tasted delicious. Ever since then I’ve been trying new ways to enjoy quinoa through different recipes. One of my favorite healthy light dinners is a Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. There are English cucumbers, baby spinach leaves, feta cheese crumbles, and pitted kalamata olives mixed in with warm quinoa. This easy vegan recipe can be enjoyed warm or cold!
I made this delightful quinoa salad for my sister’s baby shower since she is who introduced me to the lovely grain. A Quinoa Salad is an easy dish to serve to guests because it can be enjoyed warm or cold with a multitude of ingredients. Here is a peek at me and my beautiful sister from the baby shower below:
What’s in a Quinoa Bowl?
There are so many different ways to make Quinoa bowls – which is basically a huge bowl of quinoa with a lot of ingredients mixed in. I like to call this recipe a “salad” because of the crunchy ingredients. There are so many options when making a Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. Some other ingredients would be chickpeas, diced red onion, or lemon juice. You could also add tomatoes, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes or arugula. The combination of cucumbers, spinach, feta, and kalamata olives is by far my favorite. It’s salty, crunchy, and delicious!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe
Mediterranean Quinoa Spinach Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 c uncooked quinoa
- 2 c water
- 2 c english cucumber peeled and sliced
- 1 c kalamata olives pitted and sliced
- 2 c baby spinach leaves sliced thin
- 1 container feta cheese crumbles
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt plus extra
- 1 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- 1. Rinse quinoa for about 2-3 minutes under water in a large bowl using your hands to remove the bitter saponins.
- 2. Fill a medium pot with water, add quinoa and a sprinkle of salt to taste. Bring quinoa and water a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer covered 15 minutes.
- 3. Remove the pot from heat, but keep it covered for an additional 5 minutes without lifting the lid. After 5 minutes, fluff quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.
- 4. Add the cucumber, olives, spinach, and feta cheese. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients.
- 5. Optional: Add more olive oil if salad is too dry – add more salt and pepper for taste.
Notes
Want more? Check out all of Caitlin Houston Blog’s recipes here.
Looks delicious!! Can’t wait to try it this spring/summer!