This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is an easy to make, Mediterranean inspired salad made with quinoa, black olives, red onion, feta, red bell pepper and cucumber. Topped with a lemon oregano vinaigrette, this is sure to be a favorite quinoa salad to meal prep for the week!
There are lots of great salads that are perfect for meal prepping in advance, such as this Southwest Quinoa Salad or this Creamy Chickpea Salad.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great For Meal Prepping — Quinoa salads are great for making in advance since they tend to keep quite fresh in the fridge, and this recipe is no exception. It is easy to make a big batch of this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad on the weekend for lunch meals throughout the week.
- Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette — The homemade lemon oregano vinaigrette that is used on this quinoa salad is so delicious, easy to make and really pulls the salad together.
- Side Dish or Healthy Meal — This quinoa salad is great as a side dish or side salad along with a main course, but it also works well as a light meal all on its own.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Quinoa: I chose white quinoa for this recipe, but you can use whatever type of quinoa you like. You can also use another type of grain entirely, such as couscous, or even orzo. If you choose to make a substitution, make sure to follow the directions on the package to cook the grain.
- Cucumber: Cucumber adds a bit of crunch and fresh flavor to any Mediterranean salad.
- Olives: Olives are essential to any Mediterranean salad. Black olives or Kalamata olives work best in this recipe, but if you really don’t like olives, you can leave them out.
- Red Onion: You can substitute the red onion with any type of onion you prefer, such as white onion or yellow onion.
- Feta: A generous portion of diced feta brings this salad together and tastes delicious with the lemon vinaigrette. You could use goat cheese as a substitute, but it will change the overall flavor.
- Bell Pepper: I like to use a red bell pepper to add a pop of color, however yellow, green or orange bell pepper work just as well.
- Olive Oil: For salad dressings, using a high quality extra virgin olive oil really makes a difference in the overall quality of taste.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Most of the acidity comes from the lemon juice, but just a dash of red wine vinegar helps balance out the flavors.
- Oregano: You can use either dried oregano or fresh oregano if it is in season. If you are using fresh oregano, add in a large bunch rather than just ½ tsp. You will also need to blend the vinaigrette in a food processor rather than just shaking it together to really break up the fresh herbs.
- Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you have the time. Bottled lemon juice works but won’t taste quite as fresh.
- Garlic: You’ll need a small amount of diced garlic. If you really don’t like garlic, you can leave it out.
How To Make A Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Step 1: Rinse the quinoa well under cold water for 60 seconds.
Step 2: Heat the water and quinoa in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce the temperature to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the temperature and let the quinoa sit for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Step 3: Add the lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano and garlic to a mason jar. Shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds until the dressing is well emulsified.
Step 4: Add the quinoa, red pepper, cucumber, feta, black olives and red onion to a large bowl.
Step 5: Shake the dressing once again and pour over the salad. Mix well to combine.
Expert Tips
- Add salt to taste. Once you have assembled the salad and mixed in the lemon oregano vinaigrette, taste the salad and add salt as needed. The salad will need a dash of salt to really bring out all the flavors!
- Try another dressing. If you don’t like the idea of a lemon oregano vinaigrette, replace the dressing with something else, such as this classic balsamic vinaigrette or this citrus vinaigrette.
- Chill the salad before serving. I think this salad tastes best when cold, so I prefer to chill it in the fridge before serving. Chilling in the fridge also lets the flavors marinate together more.
- Store in the fridge. You can store this salad, with the dressing mixed in, in the fridge for up to 7 days in an airtight container.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this is the perfect quinoa salad for making in advance for lunches. It tastes delicious right out of the fridge.
There are lots of ways to cook quinoa (stovetop, instant pot, etc.). Any method works, so use whichever method you find most convenient.
Vinaigrette dressings separate easily. Pour the dressing as soon as you have finished shaking it.
To make this salad vegan, leave out the feta or replace it with vegan cheese.
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is an easy to make, Mediterranean inspired salad made with quinoa, black olives, red onion, feta, red bell pepper and cucumber. Topped with a lemon oregano vinaigrette, this is sure to be a favorite quinoa salad to meal prep for the week!
Ingredients
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup feta, crumbled
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ⅔ cup black olives, sliced
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced
- salt & pepper to taste
- Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp oregano, dried
- ½ tsp garlic, minced
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa under cold water for a minute. Drain it as much as possible. Add it to a small saucepan along with the water. Bring the water to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and let the quinoa simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, or once all the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat. Let the quinoa sit, covered on the stove for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the quinoa from the stove and use a fork to fluff it up.
- Make the lemon oregano vinaigrette. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano and garlic to an airtight container. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Assemble the salad. Add the cooked quinoa, cucumber, feta, black olives, red onion and bell pepper to a large salad bowl. Pour the lemon oregano vinaigrette on top and mix well until everything is evenly combined. Taste and add salt to taste.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Add salt to taste. Once you have assembled the salad (including mixing in the dressing), taste test the salad and add salt as needed. You will need to add a bit of salt at the end to bring out all the flavors!
- Vegan Version: To make this salad vegan, leave out the feta or replace it with vegan cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad Recipes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
ss
The amount of water is missing from this post.
Alejandra
Updated the recipe, thank you for pointing that out!