Vibrant Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Fresh Herbs
This Mediterranean quinoa salad bursts with color and flavor, featuring juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and aromatic herbs a perfect dish for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 cupquinoa
- 2 cupswater
- ½ teaspoonsalt
- 1 cupcherry tomatoes, halved
- 1cucumber, diced
- 1red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cupred onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cupkalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- ¼ cupcrumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cupparsley, chopped
- ¼ cupmint leaves, chopped
- ¼ cupbasil leaves, chopped
- 3 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoonslemon juice
- 1 teaspoonlemon zest
- salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- 1
Rinse the quinoa under cold water using a fine mesh strainer. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa, 2 cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- 2
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.
- 3
Remove the quinoa from the heat, fluff it with a fork, and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- 4
While the quinoa is cooling, prepare the vegetables by halving the cherry tomatoes, dicing the cucumber and red bell pepper, and finely chopping the red onion.
- 5
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, sliced olives, crumbled feta cheese, parsley, mint, and basil leaves.
- 6
In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.
- 7
Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and toss everything together until well combined. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper according to your taste.
- 8
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter. Garnish with extra fresh herbs or a sprinkle of feta on top if desired.
- 9
Serve immediately or refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together before serving.