This flavor-packed Greek Quinoa Salad recipe is perfect for healthy meal prep. Featuring creamy feta cheese, salty kalamata olives, crisp cucumbers, crunchy red bell peppers, red onion, and a homemade olive oil-based Greek salad dressing.
This Quinoa Greek Salad has quickly become one of our favorites, and even my meat-and-potatoes husband is obsessed with it. He's in constant shock that he likes quinoa - imagine that, quinoa!
All jokes aside, this is a healthy and satisfying salad that's packed with veggies, fiber, and a little bit of vegetarian protein too!
The nutty flavor of quinoa pairs perfectly with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients, and it makes a refreshing side dish for the Summer months (or a reminder of warmer weather during the cooler ones).
We love to make a big batch for the week and serve it with chicken, salmon, or even pizza and pasta! It's a great way to round out a meal, and it stores beautifully, which makes it a top pick for lunch meal prep.
Why You'll Love It:
- Healthy. Filled with fresh vegetables and fiber-packed quinoa (a complete protein), this vegetarian salad is a nutritious side dish or lunch meal prep option.
- SO flavorful. Feta cheese, olives, red pepper, cucumber, juicy tomatoes, and a homemade Greek vinaigrette. Need I say more?
- Doesn't get soggy! Because of the unique way the veggies are prepped this salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for days. It maintains the perfect texture without becoming watered down.
You Will Need:
- Quinoa: This recipe requires about 4 cups of cooked (and cooled) quinoa. It can be made on the stovetop or Instant Pot, and you'll find instructions for both in the written recipe.
- Feta: Packs in the flavor and adds the perfect saltiness! I purchase mine brine-packed and then crumble it with the tines of a fork. It works perfectly and you don't need to pay extra for "crumbled" feta cheese.
- Olives: For well-rounded flavor, I recommend a combination of green Greek olives and kalamata olives. If you only have one or the other that's fine too!
- Veggies: The most important thing is to ensure your veggies are finely chopped (and seeded). You will need 1 English cucumber, 1 red bell pepper, ½ of a red onion, and about a pint of cherry tomatoes.
- Homemade Greek Vinaigrette (or store-bought): We love to use this easy shake-and-pour dressing. It perfectly balances the Mediterranean-inspired flavors in this dish. Best of all it's made with simple ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, honey, and Dijon mustard. Check out the recipe card for a full list of ingredients!
How to Make The BEST Greek Quinoa Salad
This healthy Greek quinoa salad is one of our favorite side dishes for easy weeknight dinners, and it also makes a great addition to your weekly meal prep efforts.
- Prepare the quinoa and chop your veggies. Cook the Quinoa according to the recipe (or package) instructions, and allow it to cool at room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare the veggies. Seed and chop the cucumber, red pepper, and grape tomatoes. Mince the red onion, and chop the olives.
- Toss the veggies and quinoa together. Add the cooled fluffy quinoa to a large bowl, along with all of the chopped veggies. Toss well with salad tongs to combine.
- Add the feta cheese. Crumble the feta cheese using a fork and add it to the salad bowl.
- Toss again. Use your salad tongs to toss the salad once again, evenly distributing the salty feta cheese.
- Pour in the dressing. Add the Greek vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar, cover it, and shake vigorously. Pour over the salad.
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ lemon juiced (1-2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Toss one last time. I promise it's the last time! Once the dressing is added, toss the salad until it is evenly coated in the dressing.
- Serve and enjoy! For the best results allow your salad to chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before serving. This helps the flavors mingle and do their thing. If you don't have the time, well that's okay too!
What to Serve with Quinoa Salad
- Hummus with torn pita, veggies, or pretzels
- Seasoned chicken
- Salmon
- Rice pilaf
- Roasted eggplant
- Stuffed grape leaves
- Greek lemon potatoes
- Watermelon salad with feta and mint
Get Creative
For a fresh and inspired Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe, try using fresh herbs like mint (or fresh oregano), a full can of drained garbanzo beans, and other Mediterranean-inspired ingredients like artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Storing Leftovers
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Meal Prep Tips
This quinoa salad is the PERFECT option for meal prep. It maintains its texture for DAYS and tastes absolutely delicious.
- Seed the cucumber and cherry tomatoes to reduce extra liquid.
- Allow the quinoa to cool completely so there is no excess moisture.
- Portion into containers, and include something like salmon, chicken, or tofu for extra flavor and protein (if desired).
- Store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can I Make it Ahead of Time?
- This recipe can be made as-is and stored for up to 24 hours before your party or event. That being said, the flavors and texture are at their peak if the salad has been made within the past 3-4 hours and has been allowed to chill.
- My tips for the BEST make-ahead results:
- Cook the quinoa, chop the veggies, and prepare the veggies in advance.
- Assemble the salad 3-4 hours before you're ready to serve, including the dressing.
- Fluff the salad before serving, and garnish with extra crumbled feta or chopped parsley (if desired).
Expert Tips
- Seed the cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Both have watery seeds - which are normally totally fine to include. But for this recipe, I recommend removing the seeds. This helps the salad maintain the perfect texture - it's totally worth the extra effort.
- Finely chop your veggies. I've found that the secret to quinoa salads is keeping the veggie pieces super small. This ensures there is a little bit of each ingredient in every bite, making for the best flavor experience. I aim for pieces about ¼" in size.
- Cool your quinoa first. After your quinoa is done cooking I recommend allowing it to cool at room temperature for about an hour (or in the refrigerator). This prevents the veggies from wilting and helps to dry out the quinoa a bit.
Recipe FAQs
If you're preparing a salad or another recipe where extra liquid is not desired, seeding your cucumbers can help preserve the original texture of the dish. Persian cucumbers (or mini cucumbers) naturally have fewer seeds, but if you want to use English cucumbers you can achieve a similar result by seeding them first.
This is done by slicing the cucumber in half widthwise and using a spoon to scoop out the seeds. You can then chop the remaining flesh as desired.
Cherry tomatoes are a bit tricky to seed, but the results are worth it if you don't want extra liquid in your salad! First, slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters, then use clean hands to break the membranes and scoop out the seeds. I then like to cut each quarter in half, essentially dividing each cherry tomato into 8 very small pieces.
If you're aiming for a traditional Greek salad vibe you'll want to use kalamata olives, which have a distinct flavor. That being said if you don't have any on hand or can't find them at your local grocery store, black olives (or green Greek olives) are a perfectly acceptable stand-in.
More Quinoa Recipes
- Quinoa enchilada casserole - Damn Delicious
- Sweet potato quinoa salad - Chelsea's Messy Apron
- Creamy Italian quinoa soup - Platings and Pairings
More Healthy Recipes
If you loved this recipe for Greek Quinoa Salad, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Greek Quinoa Salad (with Feta Cheese)
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked quinoa cooled (about 1 ⅓ cups dry, see notes for cooking instructions*)
- 1 English cucumber seeded and finely chopped** (or Persian cucumbers)
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes seeds removed*** (a little less than a pint)
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
- ¼-⅓ cup chopped and pitted Kalamata olives
- ¼-⅓ cup chopped Greek green olives (or extra Kalamata olives)
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 8 ounces feta cheese crumbled****
Greek Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ lemon juiced (1-2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions (or see notes* below), and allow it to cool. If you have the time, you can cook quinoa the night before and allow it to chill overnight in the refrigerator.
- Transfer 4 cups of the cooled quinoa to a very large bowl.
- Add in the chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, kalamata olives, green olives (or extra kalamata olives), and red onion. Toss well to combine.
- Sprinkle in the crumbled feta cheese and toss with a pair of tongs. Set aside.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a salad dressing cruet, mason jar, or small bowl. Shake or whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the quinoa salad and toss well until the dressing is evenly distributed.
- For the best results, chill for 30-60 minutes before serving. If you're in a rush, you can serve it right away - it'll still taste great!
Notes
*Quinoa cooking instructions:
1 cup of dry quinoa = 3 cups once cooked Stovetop Method- 1 ⅓ cup dry quinoa
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Nutrition
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Dorothy Bigelow says
We have enjoyed this recipe over and over again for lunch meal prep. It's filling, satisfying, and packed with flavor. I hope you love it as much as we have!
Dorothy Bigelow says
We love how long this lasts in the fridge since the seeds are removed from both the cucumber and tomato. It's the perfect lunch meal prep and the flavor is really delicious.