Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Cucumber (Printable)
Fluffy quinoa with cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and zesty lemon dressing for a refreshing Mediterranean dish.
# What You Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
→ Cheese
07 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
→ Herbs
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
→ Dressing
10 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, sliced olives, crumbled feta, parsley, and mint.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently until evenly coated.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It actually tastes better the next day once the flavors get cozy together, which means meal prep doesn't feel like a chore.
- You can throw in whatever vegetables are hanging around your crisper drawer without ruining anything.
- It's one of those rare salads that's filling enough for lunch but won't leave you feeling weighed down.
02 -
- Don't dress the salad more than a few hours ahead or the cucumber will give up and turn mushy no matter how much you wanted to prep.
- If you're taking this somewhere, pack the dressing separately and combine it just before serving—this is the secret to why restaurant salads taste better than yours.
03 -
- Toast your oregano in the warm oil for a few seconds before adding the lemon—it wakes up the flavor in a way that's hard to explain until you taste it.
- Keep the feta separate until the very end if you're making this ahead; otherwise it gets soft and scattered instead of maintaining those crispy, salty pockets.