This Mediterranean quinoa salad is loaded with crisp vegetables, salty feta, and a bright lemon-Dijon dressing! It tastes better the longer it sits: perfect as a meal prep lunch or easy side dish.
Here’s a delicious meal-prep friendly salad that you need in your life: my Mediterranean quinoa salad! Readers loved this Mediterranean chickpea salad so much that I had to do a spin on it with one of my favorite whole grains.
This recipe takes inspiration from the flavors of the region: crunchy veggies, green olives, lemon zest, and crumbled that work together to make a true personality. Plus, it holds up over time so it tastes great for 5 days of the week. I love it as a lunch salad or with air fryer chicken or air fryer salmon bites as a simple dinner!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with plant protein from chickpeas and quinoa
- Bright, bold flavor from lemon zest, fresh parsley, and briny olives
- Full of healthy ingredients: it’s gluten-free, vegetarian, and Mediterranean diet friendly
- Make-ahead friendly: it keeps up to 5 days and improves with marinating time
- Versatile: works as a side dish, lunch, or potluck dish
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a quick look at the key ingredients in this salad:
- Quinoa: Rinse it well before cooking to remove the natural coating (called saponin) that can make it taste bitter. My water ratio makes for perfectly fluffy grains every time.
- Cherry tomatoes & English cucumber: Both bring crunch and freshness. English cucumbers are ideal here because they have thinner skin, fewer seeds, and a sweeter flavor.
- Yellow bell pepper: Adds color and nutrition; you can use any color you like.
- Chickpeas: Helps to make this salad even more filling.
- Olives: I like Castelvetrano olives, which are a green olive that is mild and buttery. Kalamata works too, but it can overpower the flavors more than a mild green olive.
- Feta crumbles: Essential to the flavor. If you want to go vegan, you can omit: just add a bit more salt to taste.
- Dressing: Lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, and just a touch of honey (or maple syrup) make a flavorful dressing here.
- Fresh herbs: Parsley is the easiest and most inexpensive; if you want to customize fresh dill or mint are also delicious. Cilantro also works. Basil is delicious but does turn dark when stored in the fridge over time.
Tips for the Best Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Cool the quinoa before mixing. Warm quinoa clumps together and has extra moisture, making the salad soggy. My quick tip is to spread the cooked quinoa onto a baking sheet and stick it in the freezer for 2 to 3 minutes so it cools down fast.
Chop everything small and uniform. Finely dice the veggies so you get balanced flavor in every bite.
Let it marinate. You can eat it right away, but it actually tastes even better after about 30 minutes of resting.
Ways to Serve It
Just like my Mediterranean chickpea salad and Mediterranean tuna salad, I’m obsessed with this easy grain salad! Here’s how I like to eat it:
- As a lunch with a piece of warm pita bread or crackers
- Alongside a Caprese sandwich
- As a side dish with baked salmon or grilled chicken
- Stuffed into lettuce cups or bell pepper halves
- Served at a potluck or picnic alongside orzo salad or cucumber salad
If you’re eating Mediterranean diet-style like me, this is a natural fit: see my Mediterranean diet lunch ideas for more.
Storage
This salad stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving leftovers, taste and add a pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon if needed. I don’t recommend freezing this salad, since the veggies would become mushy.
Dietary Notes
This Mediterranean quinoa salad is vegetarian and gluten-free. To make it vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey and omit the feta cheese, adding an extra bit of salt as needed.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Pin RecipeThis Mediterranean quinoa salad is loaded with crisp vegetables, salty feta, and a bright lemon-Dijon dressing! It tastes better the longer it sits: perfect as a meal prep lunch or easy side dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
- Diet: Mediterranean Diet
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 English cucumber, finely diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup minced red onion (or shallot)
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley (see Notes)
- ¾ cup feta crumbles
- ½ cup sliced olives (I like mild green olives like Castelvetrano)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa using a fine mesh strainer, then drain it completely. Place it in a saucepan with 1 ¾ cups water and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer where the water is just bubbling for about 15 to 18 minutes, until the water has been completely absorbed. (Check by pulling back the quinoa with a fork to see if water remains.) Turn off the heat and let sit with the lid on to steam for 5 minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork. (This step can be completed the day before; refrigerate the quinoa until ready to make the salad.)
- If making the salad immediately after cooking the quinoa, here’s a trick: dump the quinoa onto a baking sheet and spread it in an even layer. Pop it in the freezer for 2 to 3 minutes until cooled to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables noted in the ingredient list above. Mix them in a large bowl with the feta cheese, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and the dried oregano.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, and honey or maple syrup. Then whisk in the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time until fully combined and an emulsion forms.
- To the bowl with the seasoned vegetables and feta, add the quinoa and dressing. Season with black pepper if desired. Eat immediately, or marinate 30 minutes to 24 hours before serving (then taste and add additional salt if needed). Stores 3 to 5 days refrigerated.
Notes
- Vegan option: Use maple syrup instead of honey and omit the feta cheese. Add a few more pinches of salt.
- Herb variations: Swap parsley for cilantro, fresh mint, or a mix of fresh herbs like dill, oregano, and parsley.
- Storage: Keeps up 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavor keeps getting better over time!
More Salad and Quinoa Recipes to Try
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