Mediterranean Quinoa Cherry Tomato Salad (Printable Version)
A vibrant blend of quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, and feta tossed in lemon-oregano dressing.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa
02 - 2 cups water
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
06 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
→ Cheese
07 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
→ Fresh Herbs
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
10 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold running water.
02 - Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.
03 - In a large bowl, toss cooled quinoa with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, feta, parsley, and mint.
04 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in half an hour, which means you can make it on a Tuesday without overthinking dinner.
- The lemon and herbs keep it light enough for hot days but substantial enough to actually fill you up.
- It tastes even better the next day, so you can prep once and eat well for days.
02 -
- If you skip rinsing the quinoa, you'll taste a slight bitterness that makes you wonder why anyone likes this grain—rinsing changes everything.
- Cooling the quinoa completely before you dress it prevents the whole thing from getting mushy or warm in a way that wilts the fresh vegetables.
- Lemon juice and salt work together to brighten everything, so don't skip either one.
03 -
- Toast your oregano gently in a dry pan for thirty seconds before whisking the dressing—it releases the oils and makes the flavor more pronounced.
- If you're doubling this recipe for a crowd, add the dressing gradually and taste as you go, since larger batches sometimes need slightly more seasoning.