I love a giant salad filled with goodies for lunch or dinner, especially on hot days and this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad ticks all the boxes!
It’s colourful, light and fresh along with being full of protein & nutrients from all the different vegetables.
The best part is that it's vegan, only takes 5 minutes to make, and is a great meal prep idea for the week too.
I love adding Quinoa to salads to make them a more substantial salad. Another go-to salad you must try is my Quinoa Salad. I literally ate this for five days in a row!
Cooking light and fluffy Quinoa is important to make these salads complete. It's super easy and only requires a few steps to make it perfect everytime. Here is my recipe on How to Cook Quinoa.
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Ingredients to Make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa is one of the main ingredients in this salad. I always like to use tri-colour quinoa for its different colours
- Baby spinach is great to use as it doesn't need to be chopped, if using regular spinach it can also be chopped into smaller pieces
- Chickpeas, you can use cooked or canned chickpeas depending on your preference. If I have planned ahead, I like to use dried chickpeas that I have soaked overnight and cooked myself. That way I don’t overcook them so they have a little crunch however canned chickpeas work great too, especially if you are needing a faster option
- Cucumbers, I recommend and always use Persian or Lebanese cucumbers as they are crisper and have a nice sweet flavour
- Cherry Tomatoes, add a beautiful sweetness and pop of flavour when they burst in your mouth. It’s important to use tomatoes that are ripe however are still firm. I personally prefer the cherry roma tomatoes
- Red onion is a perfect addition for its sweetness and taste. You don’t need to add too much as it can overpower the salad
- Kalamata Olives are nice and salty and give a pop of flavour to this salad
Important Tips
- If making this salad as part of meal prep or planning on taking it to work the next day, it’s best not to add the dressing until serving as the spinach will wilt straight away and become soggy
- Try and cut all the vegetables into similar sized pieces, this way it's easier to eat and you will be able to have a piece of all the ingredients in each bite
- If cooking the quinoa at the same time, ensure it’s fully cooled before adding it to the salad so that the salad will still remain crisp and fresh.
FAQs
Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein, and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids. It's also high in fiber, vitamins, and various beneficial antioxidants. Source
It will keep nice and fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge if it hasn’t been dressed.
This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is quite healthy as it’s made from whole-foods and filled with protein & nutrients from a range of vegetables
More Healthy Salad
- Healthy Tuna Salad
- Chickpea Avocado Salad
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Shirazi Salad
- Rocket Pear and Parmesan Salad
- Strawberry Spring Salad
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to tag @cookingwithayeh and share a photo on Instagram so I can share the love.
Recipe
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 80 g baby spinach
- 2 Lebanese or Persian cucumbers
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- ¼ red onion
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas
- ¾ cup cooked tricolour quinoa
- 60 g kalamata olives
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon squeezed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa and allow it to cool down. Here is my recipe on how to cook Quinoa
- Wash and slice the cucumber and cut cherry tomatoes into halves then add to a large bowl
- Slice the red onion into thin strips, also cut the olives into halves and add to the same bowl
- Add the spinach, cooked quinoa and chickpeas to the bowl and mix to combine
- Add all dressing ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined (Note, if making this salad for meal prep, refer to my important tips above).Serve and enjoy this bowl of goodness.
Sue
Oh my gosh, this recipe is so easy to make, it’s healthy and delicious! I’ve just finished whipping this up for lunch and it’s going to be my new go to for work lunches. I added some prawns today and you can add other additional protein but it’s also super delicious on its own.
It’s a great salad to take places as well, a party pleaser! Thanks for a fabulous recipe xx
Ayeh
Oh yum would have been the perfect additon! Ive been quietly obsessed with it too hehe xxx
Bhagya
Hi
I am not a salad person but I tried this for my daughter's birthday party and everyone loved it including kids.
Very easy to make and sure delicious
Bhagya
Ayeh
So happy to hear this dear! Its a great party salad isnt it ! xx
Renee
One of the most delicious salads! Very easy to make as well, which is always a plus when you’re lacking time. It also kept me full for hours. Yum!
Kaylee
Love how fresh and filling this salad was. I didn't get quinoa this week on my shopping list but I made the salad and used marinated chicken on top. So good I had it for lunch the next day! Delish. It is now on my menu for the week. Next up is crispy tofu in the same salad. Wish me luck
Ayeh
Oh yum sounds great, I must try adding crispy tofu next time too 🙂
Ayeh
Yay its been one of my staple lunches for those same reasons 🙂 x
Pranita
This is a delicious and filling recipe! Not only does it fill you up but is so healthy that I have no regrets after a big bowl. Love the versatility too, I can add my own ingredients depending on what I have :)))
Ayeh
So happy you love this too! Ive been doing the same and mixing it up with what I have too xx
Tracey
I made the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, it’s very refreshing and so delicious. Thank you, Ayeh 🙂
Ayeh
So happy you love it Tracey! I make this one on repeat too 🙂