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This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe is fresh and bursting with flavor. It’s a healthy, filling, and easy to make salad that’s perfect for a light lunch or meal prep!
Try my Thai Quinoa Salad or these Spinach and Quinoa Meal Prep Bowls next.
Why you’ll love it
I can’t get enough Mediterranean-inspired flavors. Greek food is a cuisine that’s just so tasty while using simple ingredients like fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. This recipe is basically a jazzed-up Greek salad, and the addition of quinoa means you’ll stay full for hours!
This easy quinoa salad is great for making ahead. It’ll take you through summer lunches, potlucks, picnics, and even work lunches. Creamy, crumbly feta and briny olives are my favorite parts of it along with the bright, simple vinaigrette that’s made with pantry staples!
What you’ll need
- Quinoa – this seed (not a grain) is rich in iron, and it’s quite filling without being too heavy. It works really well in this Greek salad.
- Cucumbers – I like the mini ones best, but English works too
- Tomatoes – use either cherry or grape
- Bell peppers – these add more crunch! I use red and green.
- Olives – Kalamata olives are the standard ones in a classic Greek salad
- Onion – red onion is milder, so it’s great raw in salads
- Feta – this Greek cheese adds so much savory flavor! I like the kind packed in oil and herbs.
- Dressing – my quick vinaigrette has olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and dried oregano
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I like fixing salads in one of these large glass prep bowls, and this cute lemon saver keeps the rest of the lemon fresh.
- Chop up your veggies effortlessly with a sharp chef’s knife on a sturdy cutting board.
- These leak-proof containers are ideal for meal prepping.
How to make Greek quinoa salad
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cook your quinoa according to the package instructions. Set it aside.
- Meanwhile, chop and prep the other salad ingredients and add them to a bowl, followed by the quinoa once it’s cooled down.
- Add the dressing ingredients to the bowl, and toss. Season generously with salt & pepper. Taste and adjust as needed, and chill if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- This is a very flexible recipe! Add or substitute ingredients as needed. Throw in some garden herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Capers would also be fantastic.
- For more protein, a handful of chickpeas would be a great addition here.
- You can easily make this quinoa salad recipe vegan by omitting the feta or using a plant-based one.
What to serve with Mediterranean quinoa salad
- It makes a fantastic light summer meal on the patio. Pair it with fresh crusty bread and olive oil/balsamic vinegar for dipping.
- If you’re craving more Greek food, I recommend my Creamy Tzatziki Sauce and Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata) along with warm pita bread, and this Saganaki (Greek Fried Cheese) is irresistible!
Leftovers and storage
- This quinoa salad holds up really well. Store in the fridge for a few days. I like to divide it up into individual portions in airtight meal prep containers.
- Feel free to give it an extra squeeze of lemon juice to perk up leftovers.
If you made this Mediterranean salad with quinoa, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made it or any of my recipes.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 Persian (mini) cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
- Generous handful little tomatoes halved
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
- Handful kalamata olives pitted
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- 3.5 ounces cubed feta (I used the kind packed in oil + herbs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or more to taste)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, prep the rest of the salad ingredients and add them to a large salad bowl.
- Once quinoa has cooled, add it to the salad bowl.
- Add the dressing ingredients (oil, lemon, vinegar, oregano) directly into the salad bowl. Taste and adjust as needed to suit your personal tastes (e.g. add a bit more oil or vinegar). I add a fair bit of salt & pepper to this recipe since the quinoa is not cooked with salt and can be quite bland otherwise.
- You can chill the salad first or eat right away. Salad will keep in the fridge for a few days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love this recipe! My husband said that it’s his favorite salad
Thank you, Linda!! I’m glad to hear it!
A very delicious and flavorful salad. A definite keeper 😊
Thank you so much, Jan!
I like this very much, and I keep trying vegetarian recipes, but even after adding a pound of tofu in addition to the cheese, I can’t seem to get full on this no matter how much of it I eat. So for me it’s going to be a side salad. It’s definitely delicious and fresh.
I just bought tricolor quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, and green bell pepper today. This is perfect for my lunches this week.
That’s great! Hope you love the salad, Ginger. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
This is an absolute favourite in my house. It’s easy and delicious. I sometimes add chickpeas when I’m having it for dinner. It’s also great for lunches.
That’s great to hear, thank you!! 🙂
Me encantan! Son fáciles y muy sustanciosas.
I would assume that the dressing is made by combining lemon juice/vinegar/oil/oregano; it does not explicitly say in the recipe
Hi! In step 4 I say “add the dressing right into the bowl”. Perhaps that wasn’t too clear and I should have said “add the dressing ingredients right into the bowl”. For this recipe, I simply throw everything into the same bowl and don’t bother mixing the dressing separately into another bowl. I’ll update it. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Hi! What type of quinoa do you reccomend for this salad?
Hi Rachel! I just buy white quinoa. I’m not loyal to any particular brand… I don’t eat it too often, so I just buy whatever looks good or what’s on sale at the store.
I’ve made this salad three times and it’s the best. Everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing.
Aww so glad to hear it, Eva!
This is truly lunch goals. Adding to my “killer desk lunch” line up!
Thanks so much, Debs!!