Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe

This delicious and healthy vegan Mediterranean quinoa recipe is on my blog! It’s filled with all the most delicious flavors of the Mediterranean and if you aren’t vegan or lactose intolerant you can absolutely jazz it up with some organic, grass-fed feta cheese too! It’s super easy to make and I like to eat it either on its own or on the side of some chicken kebabs or rosemary lamb chops!

You will need: 1.5 cups quinoa (before cooking)

1 cup of cherry or plum tomatoes, sliced in quarters

1/2 an English cucumber, cubed

1/2 cup of pitted kalamata olives, halved

1/2 cup marinated artichokes, diced (optional)

1/4 cup pepperonicinis (diced)

1 whole red bell pepper, diced

1 tbsp of chopped mint

3 tbsp chopped parsley

1/4 of a red onion or 1 shallot, finely diced

2 lemons, juiced

1 lemon, zested

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt/pepper

Crumbled feta (optional)

Cook the quinoa as per the pack directions. I use the rule 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups of water and so on. So for 1.5 cups of quinoa I do 3 cups of water. Make sure to salt the water before and then add the quinoa once the water is boiled, turn it low and cover it immediately. Leave for it for around 12 minutes. And then once the water is evaporated turn the heat off, fluff it, then cover again and leave for 5 more minutes. I find this extra step really gives it a delicious fluffy-ness to the quinoa. Don’t forget to wash it first!

Whilst the quinoa is cooking you can be chopping your cucumber, tomatoes, onion, mint, parsley, pepperoncinis, bell pepper and olives. Then start making your dressing. Zest one lemon and juice two. Add in the grated garlic and then slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil whilst whisking. Add some salt and pepper and then combine it all and drizzle it over whilst warm so the quinoa really absorbs that lemon flavor and garlic. If you want to keep it vegan then leave it like that. But if you want to jazz it up, add in the crumbled feta for a salty and creamy extra touch!

Enjoy!