• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Perfect Tide
  • Recipe Index
    • MEDITERRANEAN
    • SEAFOOD
      • Fish
        • Rock Fish & White Fish
        • Salmon
        • Tuna
      • Canned & Tinned
      • Shellfish
        • Crab
        • Mussels
        • Oysters
        • Razor Clams
        • Shrimp
        • Steamer Clams
      • PACIFIC COAST
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Main Course
      • Mediterranean Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Baked Goods
    • Drinks
    • Sauces & extras
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Seafood How-To
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Seafood How-To
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home

    Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

    Last Updated: Mar 28, 2023 by Suzy Sakamoto · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Share on Facebook

    This incredibly nourishing, hardy, and refreshing Mediterranean Quinoa Salad recipe is the perfect lunch or side to any dinner! Loaded with fresh and nutritious ingredients such as mint, olives, artichokes, and olives!

    This quinoa salad is an absolute staple in my house in the spring and summer seasons. I typically make it using marinated artichokes, olives, sundried tomatoes, and mix in other fresh veggies I have on hand at that time. It's an absolute must-try and one to keep on rotation for an incredibly healthy and hardy dish!

    Quinoa is a powerhouse of nutrients! It's packed with protein, fiber, and other minerals, making it much more nutritious than other grains.

    The best part is how fast and easy it is to cook! Use my recipe below to get the perfect fluffy quinoa, and be sure to let it marinate in the dressing prior to serving.

    Ok, now for a little back story...

    I make most of my recipes inspired by my Lebanese Mediterranean upbringing. Being born and raised in Lebanon, I gravitate toward adding a little Mediterranean spin to most recipes I make. You can go far with fresh herbs, Extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and garlic but there are a lot of amazing dishes that I can't wait to share!

    This is a healthy and easy quinoa salad that will be sure to impress the entire family. With being this versatile, it will surely become a staple in your home, as it has been in mine for many years. 

    * I earn from qualifying purchases from the qualified purchases at no extra cost to you.

    YOU WILL NEED

    1. Cutting board. I've had this style of cutting boards for years and love having multiple lightweight options, for meals where I'm using veggies and seafood.
    2. Knife
    3. Medium size saucepan
    4. Measuring cups & Measuring spoons

    INGREDIENTS NOTES

    For the salad

    • quinoa dry
    • water
    • canned garbanzo beans
    • tomato
    • red onion 
    • marinated artichoke
    • kalamata olives
    • sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
    • feta 
    • fresh mint leaves 
    • cucumber

    For the dressing

    • extra virgin olive oil
    • fresh lemon juice
    • red wine vinegar
    • garlic 
    • sugar, optional
    • black pepper
    • salt

    Should I rinse quinoa before cooking?

    Quinoa can have a slightly bitter flavor. Check the package on your specific quinoa for any cooking notes. Personally, I like to rinse quinoa. As I do the same with many other grains. I place my quinoa in a strainer and do a quick rinse under running water prior to cooking it.

    Can you make this Quinoa salad in advance?

    Yes! I typically make this recipe at lunch time to serve for dinner. This way, the quinoa has time to soak up the dressing.

    How long can you store this Quinoa salad in the fridge?

    Stores for about 4 days in the fridge if not dressed. If you are meal prepping this recipe, be sure to store the dressing on the side.

    • Facebook
    • Link to our Youtube Channel
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Serving Suggestions

    A few ideas on how we serve this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad recipe:

    • This Mediterranean quinoa recipe makes a great lunch meal prep for the week. I'm all for doubling a batch of a healthy meal! This way, you can eat better with fewer dishes and have more time back in your day. Share this recipe on Facebook to get bragging rights for eating healthy, with little effort! 
    • This quinoa recipe makes the perfect side dish to bring to any potluck or BBQ.
    • Pair with another side dish or two for an easy picnic date.
    • This quinoa recipe is one to keep on hand for easy dinner ideas for family meal prepping.
    • Serve in cute tall jars for brunch! 

    If you enjoyed my QUINOA SALAD recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below.
    Please share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
    Thank you for your support!

    I'd love to see the dishes you've made using our recipes! Please post them on social media and tag us!
    You can find us on Facebook @perfecttide and Instagram @theperfecttide

    mediterranean quinoa salad with chickpeas olives tomatoes artichokes mint and red onion

    The Best Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

    This Mediterranean Quinoa salad is incredibly nourishing, hardy, and so refreshing.
    With Marinated artichokes, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, red onion and fresh mint to name a few.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 6 servings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    For the salad

    • 1½ cups quinoa dry
    • 1 cup water
    • 14 oz. can garbanzo beans
    • 1 large tomato or 2 small
    • ¾ cup red onion chopped
    • 1 cup marinated artichoke
    • ⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced in half
    • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
    • 1 cup feta crumbled
    • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves chopped
    • 1 medium cucumber diced, optional

    For the dressing

    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
    • ½ teaspoon sugar optional to cut acidity
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
    • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Cook quinoa in a saucepan, with water over medium heat. Once the water reaches a boil, decrease the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, or until the quinoa completely absorbs the water. Remove from heat and let sit until cooled.
    • In a large bowl, place the garbanzo beans, tomato, red onion, artichoke, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and cucumbers.
    • In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, black pepper, and salt. Mix together until combined.
    • Add the quinoa to the bowl with the mixings, pour in the dressing and toss until combined. Set in the fridge until ready to serve.
    • Prior to serving, sprinkle in the feta and mint leaves, and lightly fold to combine.

    Notes

    • Feel free to leave out any ingredients that you can't consume or are not a fan of.
    • Rinse quinoa in cold water once cooked to make the recipe even faster.
    • You can prep at lunch time and store in the fridge to have for dinner!
    • Stores for about 2 days if dressing is mixed in.
    • If you are meal prepping be sure to keep the dressing separate to prevent the quinoa salad from becoming soggy.
    Keyword Lunch, meal prep, quinoa salad
    Loved this recipe?Give us a 5 star review & Share!
    • Facebook
    • Link to our Youtube Channel
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    More Recipes

    • fish collars broiled on black plate
      Best Broiled Fish Collars
    • blueberry toast with prosciutto and goat cheese and herbs
      Blueberry Toast
    • homemade blueberry vodka in a mason jar
      Blueberry Vodka
    • blueberry gin and tonic cocktail with a bowl of fresh blueberries and lime wedges
      Blueberry Gin Cocktail

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Lisa

      September 17, 2022 at 10:43 am

      I made this last weekend for my boyfriend to go with the chicken shawarma. We both loved it. Full of flavor. There's only 2 of us so it made tons of leftovers. He's usually scared to try new things, but he absolutely loved this salad. I will likely be making this at least weekly. Thank you so much for such a delicious recipe. I won't lie in making it again tomorrow!

      Reply
      • THE PERFECT TIDE

        November 12, 2022 at 8:37 pm

        Thank you for your kind words, Lisa! The Shawarma does pack flavor for sure!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    suzy-seafood-mediterranean-food-blogger

    Hi, I'm Suzy! Welcome to my Pacific Coast kitchen!

    Here you will find authentic Mediterranean recipes and a variety of fresh seafood recipes that are easy to achieve, feature fresh ingredients, and are packed with flavor! We aim for a catch-and-cook lifestyle for our family, and my seafood recipes are tested, perfected, and easy to re-create! Subscribe to get them via email.

    More about me

    Popular

    • fish fillet cooked in air fryer with roasted air fries carrots and parsnips
      Easy Air Fryer Frozen Fish
    • Cajun Dungeness Crab Boil
    • cooked crab in a pot crab legs crab sections and whole crab cooked
      The Easiest Way to Cook Crab
    • crab melts on english muffins with tomato and cheese
      Crab Melt on English Muffins

    Seasonal

    • sugar and salt rim with dark red alcoholic drink fresh huckleberry margarita
      Fresh Huckleberry Margarita
    • seafood boil recipe with butter sauce on the table
      Seafood Boil
    • Baked whole rockfish canary rockfish with thyme, lemon slices in white baking dish
      Baked Whole Rockfish Recipe
    • razor clam spaghetti with white sauce sauce angel hair pasta mushrooms red peppers parsley garnish
      Razor Clam Spaghetti with Wine Sauce

    Footer

    ⬆️ back to top

    ABOUT

    • ABOUT
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    NEWSLETTER

    • SIGN UP FOR FREE RECIPES

    CONTACT

    • CONTACT
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • PINTEREST

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ©️ 2023 THEPERFECTTIDE