Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
This Mediterranean masterpiece incorporates all the amazing and tasty standouts of the health-promoting diet, including loads of antioxidant-rich produce, flavorful herbs and seasonings, olive oil, and creamy feta.
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups mixed greens
- 3 cups cooked quinoa, chilled
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ English cucumber, diced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded red/purple cabbage
- ½ red onion, diced (~½ cup)
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- ¼ to ½ cup crumbled feta
- Optional minced herbs, basil, mint, parsley, cilantro
Lemon Vinaigrette (makes ~½ cup)
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
To make the salad:
- Place the lettuce greens in a large serving bowl. Add the other salad ingredients (except for the feta cheese) and toss.
To make the dressing:
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until everything is well combined. Season with additional salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. You can make ahead or store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Drizzle the prepared dressing on your salad in batches and toss until the veggies are perfectly coated to your liking. Add the feta, and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
• Use this recipe as a base, but feel free to mix up the ingredients to your liking (i.e., if you don’t like olives, skip ’em!)
• The Lemon Vinaigrette is so easy to make and the perfect complement to this salad, but certainly, if you want a different dressing, a Balsamic Vinaigrette, Tahini Dressing, or a store-bought dressing, go for it!
• If you’re following a gluten-free diet, be sure to carefully read the packaging for each ingredient. While these foods are inherently gluten-free, gluten can sometimes be added during processing for a variety of reasons, including for flavor and consistency.
Nutrition Information per serving
Calories: 290Carbohydrates: 35gProtein: 10gTotal Fat: 13g— Unsaturated Fat: 11g— Saturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 380mgPotassium: 407mgFiber: 7gTotal Sugar: 5g— Natural Sugar: 5g— Added Sugar: 0gVitamin C: 18mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.