Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Spring Greens
Maybe it’s the warmer days, or the cheerful local tulips starting to appear in the markets, but I’m finding myself quickly transitioning away from craving all-things roasted to all-things fresh.
As such, we’ve been eating tons of veggie-packed, fresh salads. As in, for dinner practically every night this week.
I’m always looking for new combinations of greens and grains to add to my repertoire, and lately, I’ve been loving this simple, protein-packed quinoa and spring greens salad, layered with Mediterranean ingredients. It’s full of bright, punchy flavors, and super healthy to boot.
The whole salad comes together in a few minutes with ingredients that you probably already have in the pantry:
I start with pre-cooked quinoa (simmered with a splash of olive oil and a fat pinch of salt) and baby arugula, spinach and red chard (with those pretty ruby stems), then top that with sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and thinly-sliced almonds. The last step is a drizzle of a tangy lemon-olive oil vinaigrette, before a quick toss together.
This dish makes a lovely light lunch or side salad as is, and happens to be vegan and naturally gluten-free, although I tend to add a few tablespoons of salty, crumbled feta to the mix (which renders things strictly vegetarian instead of vegan, if that’s important to you).
While the quinoa and almonds pack a decent amount of protein, you can also add an extra boost with some cooked chickpeas or chopped chicken, if you’re looking for a more filling salad. Enjoy!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups spring greens (arugula, spinach, baby kale, chard etc.)
- 1–1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- optional: 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Easy Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- juice of one lemon
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried Greek oregano
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and honey until emulsified. Stir in the garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, greens, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, and feta cheese (if using).
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette (there may be some leftover), and gently toss to coat. Season, to taste. Enjoy!
I made this salad, doubling ingredients (8 cups spring greens & 3 cups cooked quinoa) for a larger group. I cut back to 1 Tbsp on the honey for the double batch. I used the juice of only 1/2 lemon, but it rendered about 2 & 1/2 Tbsps, and I added 3 Tbsps Balsamic Vinegar & only increased the E.V.O.O. to 1/3 cup. I kept the Oregano & Thyme at around 1/3 tsp.
I also served the Feta & sliced almonds on the side as some in our group don’t like cheese or nuts. We discussed the use of English Walnuts in place of the almonds, which might also be nice.
Overall this salad was a hit & I will definitely make it again per my husbands request.
★★★★
Thank you, Paula!
Yum! I used only 1 tsp honey for less sweet (personal preference), substituted basil for parsley (because it’s what I had on hand), and added a bit more olive oil (the lemon I used must have been particularly juicy). I also mixed everything together except the greens and will let that sit in the fridge to marinate the flavors. Though also delicious when freshly made. Will be making this, and variations of this, again.
★★★★
Thanks, Joanisabel!
This sounds delicious, but I would like to see the nutrition content. I’m a registered dietitian and work in a weight management program. our patients track their calories and nutrient intake and I can’t recommend if I don’t know the nutritional components of the recipe. Maybe I missed it. hoping to see; this goes for all the Healthy Veggie Recipes.
Thanks!
This looks so healthy — if only I could get my hubby to eat quinoa! Can you suggest another grain that would still fully complement the other flavors?
★★★★★
Thanks, Joan! I think this salad would be yummy with lots of different grains (wheat berries, millet, even brown/wild rice). Or he might like couscous? Or orzo? Technically not grains but would work well with these other flavors… 🙂