Greek Quinoa Salad

I love my quinoa salads, especially in the summertime! That season is almost here so it’s time to get back in shape for the outdoor summer salad season! But why do I love quinoa salads? Besides the fact that they always taste so good, the ease of packing a quinoa salad for a meal to go makes a great selling point. Whether you are boating, camping, picnicking, potluck-ing, or just need a tasty side dish, a quinoa salad is the perfect addition for all of these events. This Greek quinoa salad is delicious, but just know there are also many other ways to create these salads to your liking - Mexican flavors, Caprese theme with basil and tomato, garden vegetable medley, Thai flavors, and the list could go on, they are all so good!

This Greek quinoa salad was inspired one day by what I had in the refrigerator - marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, feta, red onion, red cabbage, and parsley. One of the secrets to making quinoa salads is cooking the quinoa the day before you are going to make a salad, or even early in the same day, and it will have time to cool down in the refrigerator and be ready for assembly. Actually, the quinoa stays good for several days in the refrigerator so you can prepare for making this salad days in advance! (Kitchen Hack #42 😆)

INGREDIENTS -

1 cup quinoa (equals about 4 cups cooked), cook according to package directions
Then pick and choose what you want to add -

Feta Cheese
Red Cabbage
Cucumber
Kalamata Olive
Parsley
Basil
Red Onion
Artichoke Hearts
Sundried Tomato
Cherry Tomato
Sunflower Seeds (lovely for adding a crunch)

DRESSING -
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the quinoa with your salad ingredients, then shortly before serving, stir the dressing in with the salad.

Easy enough for you? I’m so excited to be thinking “summertime” food and all of the amazing salads that are just around the corner for menu planning. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I do!