Fitness / March 31, 2024

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Take a break from sandwiches and pastas with this protein-packed and totally satisfying lunch option—Mediterranean Quinoa Salad—made with an exotic mix of Greek goodies like feta cheese and Kalamata olives.

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Heaven forbid I knock sandwiches and pasta but sometimes I’m in the mood for something different for lunch. Something that’s healthy, that will keep me full through to dinner, and won’t take me until dinner to make. Whenever I have these prerequisites for my lunch, I find myself turning to quinoa.

Quinoa checks those boxes. It’s healthy (more on that below), it fills me up, and I can prep this salad so that it takes only a few minutes to assemble. For this particular incarnation, I’ve headed to the Med for some Greek-inspired flavor. Hey, if you can’t be there in person, you can be there in stomach! There are so many flavors here, I guarantee each bite will taste different. It’s the perfect break in the day that will have you humming all afternoon.

Is This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Healthy?

Quinoa really grew in popularity in the 2000s as an alternative to rice and potatoes, and it hasn’t slowed down since. That’s because it contains protein, fiber, and a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals. It makes everyone say, “Rice WHO?” Similar are the chickpeas, which also bring the protein and fiber. Together they form a tremendously healthy base. The rest of the ingredients are mostly veggies, which don’t need my endorsement to convince you they’re healthy. It’s suitable for vegetarian, vegan (omit the feta and ensure the dressing is vegan), gluten-free (again, check out the dressing), Mediterranean, and dairy-free (omit the feta and ensure the dressing hasn’t any dairy) diets.

What Does A Mediterranean Diet Consist Of?

The Mediterranean diet, you may not be shocked to learn, originated in those countries near the Mediterranean Sea (i.e., Greece, Italy, Spain, southern France). There, the onus when cooking was on whole foods with minimal processing. They also stressed staying active, so it was more a lifestyle than just a diet, but, as this is a recipe, we’ll focus on the food. They promoted fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), nuts, seeds, and whole grains, as well as fish and seafood (makes sense). Red meat and dairy were allowed, but in small amounts. For flavor, they used herbs and spices (not the salt that features so heavily in American diets) then washed it all down with a glass of red wine. Not a bad way to live!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups cooked quinoa
1 pint roasted cherry tomatoes
2 cups arugula
1 cup sliced Persian cucumbers
1 cup mixed basil and mint, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Italian dressing (with 2 additional garlic cloves, grated)
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
red pepper flakes
1 cup roasted chickpeas

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine

In a large bowl, mix the quinoa with roasted tomatoes, greens, cucumbers, herbs, feta, olives, onion, and nuts.

Dress & Season

Drizzle with Italian dressing, then add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss well.

Top & Serve

Add roasted chickpeas on top for a crunchy texture. Enjoy your nutritious salad or chill for later.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How do I store this salad?

If you dressed your salad, I would store it in the fridge for no longer than a day or two. If you had the forethought to not dress it until you planned on eating it (yay you!), it should keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

Can I prep this salad ahead of time?

Yup. As you can tell from the questions below, there are a few steps you can take ahead of time to make the actual assembly of this salad a breeze when you’re actually in the mood to eat it. The roasting of the tomatoes and chickpeas can be done beforehand, as can the toasting of the pine nuts and the slicing and dicing of all the veggies. Oh, and the quinoa can be cooked, too. Once you’ve taken care of all that, there’s little to do except mix it all together.

How do I roast the tomatoes?

Wash them, dry them, then cut them in half. Toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whichever herbs and spices you like. Spread them out on a baking sheet then roast in a 400°F oven for 15–20 minutes.

How do I roast the chickpeas?

Drain and rinse your can of chickpeas. Dry them out with a paper towel so that they turn out nice and crunchy. Drizzle olive oil on them, plus whichever spices and herbs you want. Spread them out on a baking sheet (don’t overcrowd them; chickpeas like their space) then roast them in a 400°F oven for 25–35 minutes. You’ll probably want to stir them up halfway through to ensure even cooking.

How do I toast pine nuts?

Toasting pine nuts may not seem like a big deal to some but anyone who has chased untoasted pine nuts with toasted ones would never say that. The flavor goes from meh to amazing. All you have to do is put them in a DRY skillet and heat them on MED-LOW. Stir frequently so that they don’t burn, then remove them when they get all fragrant.

Serving Suggestions

You may think the list of ingredients is already the size of the Mediterranean but you would be wrong. There is still a bunch of food you can add to it or use as replacements. Grilled eggplant, zucchini, corn, or asparagus will fit in nicely, as would sundried tomatoes (a longtime feature of Greek cuisine). Want some added creaminess? Dice up some avocado. You can also add such fruit as pomegranate (the seeds, not the actual pomegranate) and citrus slices (orange and grapefruit, in particular). Then sprinkle some edamame on top and you’re good.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Take a break from sandwiches and pastas with this protein-packed and totally satisfying lunch option—Mediterranean Quinoa Salad—made with an exotic mix of Greek goodies like feta cheese and Kalamata olives.

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

Servings servings

Calories 295kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa
1 pint roasted cherry tomatoes
2 cups arugula
1 cup sliced Persian cucumbers
1 cup mixed basil and mint chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup Kalamata olives pitted and sliced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 Italian dressing with 2 additional garlic cloves, grated
1/2 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
pinches of red pepper flakes
1 cup roasted chickpeas

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, roasted tomatoes, arugula, sliced cucumbers, chopped herbs, crumbled feta cheese, sliced olives, diced red onion, and toasted pine nuts.
Drizzle the Italian dressing over the salad and toss everything together until well mixed. Season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, then toss again.
Top the salad with roasted chickpeas for added crunch and protein. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for later. DEVOUR!