We love quinoa and all the things that can be made with it. It’s great in cold salads and warm as a side dish. We eat it much as you would rice. It’s very versatile and I find it easily takes on flavors. It’s similar to bulgar and couscous in that sense.
Quinoa was a staple food in ancient times but was soon replaced by other grains, but has become popular once again due to its health benefits. It’s one of the few grains that contain all essential amino acids. I thought the history of quinoa to be quite interesting — you can read all about it here!
There’s a lot of variations of this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad which dates back to the 1960s. It’s quinoa with olives, cucumber, lemon, onion and peppers and an array of spices and other additions depending upon the region. We tossed ingredients you would find in a Greek Salad, added quinoa and it’s simply delicious!! We have been enjoying it during our Bible Days because the flavors meld well with crispy pita bread, olives and cheeses, dried fruit and grapes — foods that were popular in Bible times.
Let’s get started!
Combine red onion, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, parsley, seasonings, feta cheese and oil.
Add lemon juice.
Mix well. This actually tastes so good as is!!
Be sure quinoa has cooled before mixing with the vegetables. It was a little warm, so to cool it faster I put it to one side of the cold bowl.
Mix well before serving. Taste for seasonings, adjust as needed. I ended up adding more salt and pepper and lemon juice. So yummy! My girls don’t care for tomatoes, so I left them on the side.
This salad is delicious with or without tomato though I do prefer it with tomato.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa, rinsed cooked in 2 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), diced – we used 2 mini bell peppers
1/4 red onion, finely diced
3 tbsp Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped fine
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped or 2 tbsp dried parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle Greek seasoning, Italian seasoning and dried oregano
Combine red onion, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, parsley, seasonings, feta cheese and oil. Add lemon juice and mix well. Be sure quinoa has cooled before mixing with the vegetables. Mix well, taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours