Greek Quiona Salad

I think this might be one of my favourite quinoa salads to date. Greek salad is already a favourite of mine, and the quinoa helps bulk it up with a bit of extra protein, making this versatile as a side dish or a light main feature. I am personally not a huge fan of olives and didn't have time to go out and get kalamata olives for this recipe, but they would definitely be a more-than-appropriate addition if you happen to have them laying around.

Quinoa is one of those grains/seeds I find tastes a little bland on its own, but really shines when with other ingredients. If you have some chicken or vegetable stock to spare, use that to cook the quinoa rather than salted water. It can give it a little extra flavour for the final dish, but certainly isn't necessary.

Greek Quinoa Salad
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 6+

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked quinoa
• 3 tomatoes on the vine, diced and deseeded if desired
• 1 whole English cucumber, diced into quarter moons
• 1/2 red onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon of salt)

Directions
Combine cooked and cooled quinoa with vegetables, lemon zest, and feta cheese. In a small jar or other container, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and oregano. Shake or whisk with a fork to combine well and pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir well to combine and serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

Prep the vegetables while the quinoa is cooking and cooling, respectively. I only used 2/3 cup of crumbled feta but if you are feeling indulgent you could easily increase it to 1 full cup of crumbled feta. Combine the quinoa, vegetables, and feta in a large bowl and combine well.

In a small jar or bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper and either whisk together with a fork or tightly screw the lid on the jar and shake well until combined.

Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and combine well. The salad is now ready to serve.