Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4-6
This cold salad is delicious for summer! This makes a great side dish or you could add chicken, canned tuna. shrimp or beans for added protein. If you don’t have all of the specific ingredients, don’t worry, just use what you have in the cabinet! Instead of quinoa, you could sub garbanzo beans, great northern beans or cannellini beans. You can eat the salad right away but the longer it sits, the more flavor of the dressing it will take on, so also great the next day for leftovers.
Salad Ingredients
2 cups cooked & cooled quinoa
OR SUB: 2 - 15 ounce cans of beans (garbanzo, great northern, cannellini) - drained & rinsed
12 ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained & rinsed, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in half
1/2 cup green olives, cut in half
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, from a jar
1/4 cup pepperoncini peppers (optional)
2 cups cherry tomates, halved
1.5 cups cucumber, chopped
2 TBSP capers
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
Dressing Ingredients
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch of salt & pepper
Method
Cook quinoa per package directions or use leftover quinoa - make sure quinoa has cooled before adding to the salad.
If you are using beans instead of quinoa, drain & rinse beans.
In a large mixing bowl, add all of the salad ingredients.
Prepare dressing - add all dressing ingredients to a nutribullet or small food processor & blitz until it turns a creamy color. *Note: You will not need to use all of the dressing, you will have some leftover. You can store the leftover dressing in the fridge for up to 1 week and use on any other salad!
Slowly add half of the dressing to the salad and toss together. Add salt & pepper to taste.
You can eat right away or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.