Greek Quinoa Salad (with Feta Cheese)

A spoon scooping a portion of Greek quinoa salad from a large wooden bowl.

Greek Quinoa Salad (with Feta Cheese)

This flavorful Greek Quinoa Salad recipe is perfect for meal prep. Packed with veggies and featuring creamy feta cheese – it's a dream!

Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Greek, Mediterranean

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Cooling time 1

Total Time 1 40

Servings servings

Calories 377

Author Dorothy Bigelow

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

Storage: This quinoa salad recipe stores very well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days as long as the seeds are removed from the cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Keep in an airtight container.

**Seeding cucumbers: To seed the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the middle. Slice each half lengthwise into ¼-1/2" strips, then slice widthwise to form ¼" cubes. Persian or mini cucumbers can be used if available (they contain few seeds).

***Seeding cherry tomatoes: For the cherry tomatoes, slice them in half and use clean hands to squish the seeds out. Slice each half into 4 pieces. Measure the cherry tomatoes after they are seeded and chopped (it should be a little less than a pint).

****Crumbling feta cheese: You can purchase your cheese pre-crumbled, but it will cost you a considerable amount extra! Instead, I like to purchase a block packed in brine and crumble it myself. This is easily done by placing the cheese on a cutting board and using the tines of a fork to gradually crumble it away from the edge of the block.

*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

Rinse quinoa, then add it to a large saucepan along with the water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then stir, reduce the heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the lid. Allow the cooked quinoa to rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Instant Pot Method

1 ⅓ cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt

Do not rinse quinoa (most brands do not need to be rinsed nowadays). Cook on manual pressure for 3 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, do a 10-minute natural pressure release. Switch the valve to “venting” to do a quick pressure release, then open carefully and fluff with a fork. If your brand requires rinsing, reduce the water by ¼ cup.

Nutrition