Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Watch Recipe Video ABOVE. This mediterranean quinoa salad is packed with quinoa, chickpeas, black beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and feta which are all good-for-you ingredients. Healthy, delicious, gluten free and vegetarian, this salad can be made ahead which makes it perfect for lunch, parties, birthdays, barbecues and picnics.

Course Salads

Cuisine Mediterranean

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings portions

Calories 447kcal

Author Richa

Equipment

Saucepan
Whisk
Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

For the Salad Dressing:

½ cup Olive Oil extra virgin
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
4 cloves Garlic minced
½ teaspoon Basil dried
½ teaspoon Oregano dried
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper ground

For the Salad :

1 cup Quinoa cooked
½ cup Chickpeas boiled
¼ cup Black Beans cooked
1 cup Bell Peppers diced
1 cup Cucumber diced
1 cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes halved
½ cup Onion diced
¼ cup Olives pitted and sliced (green and black)
½ cup Feta Cheese cut into ¼" cubes + extra for sprinkling
¼ cup fresh Basil torn

Instructions

Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a screw top bottle and shake well till combined.
Add quinoa, chickpeas, black beans, bell peppers, cucumber, onions, tomatoes, feta and basil to a large bowl.
Drizzle the dressing all over and toss well. Taste and adjust the salt. Sprinkle more crumbled feta on top, and refrigerate for at 2 hours.

Notes

Cooking quinoa in a pressure cooker: Take 1 cup of quinoa in a colander and rinse it very well, rubbing it between your hands, under the tap. Transfer the quinoa to the pressure cooker and add 1 ½ cups of water. Close the lid and cook it on high flame for 5 minutes or 2 whistles. Take off heat and let the pressure release by itself. Open the cooker 10 minutes after taking off the flame and fluff up the quinoa with a fork
Cooking quinoa on the stovetop: Take a cup of quinoa in a colander and rinse it very well, rubbing it between your hands, under the tap. Transfer it to a pan and add 2 cups of water to it. Bring it to a boil, then cover and let simmer on low for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Take off heat and let sit covered for another 5 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork
A cup of raw quinoa makes approximately 3 cups of cooked quinoa
This mediterranean quinoa salad can be made vegan if you leave the feta out. If leaving the feta out, increase the amount of salt in the recipe

Nutrition