Quinoa Veggie Salad
Quick · 30 min · Serves 2 · Mediterranean
Dietary: vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free, nut-free
A bright, protein-rich salad of fluffy quinoa tossed with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and herbs with feta in a lemon dressing.
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Quinoa
- 150 g quinoa
Dressing
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
Salad
- 0.5 cucumber, diced
- 150 g cherry tomato, halved
- 0.25 red onion, finely chopped
- 15 g parsley, roughly chopped
- 80 g feta, crumbled
- 40 g kalamata olive (optional)
Steps
Quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water for about 30 seconds, rubbing it between your fingers. Don't skip this: the natural coating on the seeds tastes bitter and soapy.
- Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the quinoa, and simmer uncovered over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender and the white germ has curled away from each seed like a little tail.
- Drain well, shaking the sieve, then spread the quinoa on a large plate or tray to steam dry. Let it cool until no longer warm, about 10 minutes: warm quinoa wilts the parsley.
Dressing
- While the quinoa cools, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil and a good pinch of salt in the bottom of a large bowl until slightly thickened.
Salad
- Add the cooled quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, parsley and olives, if using, to the dressing and toss until everything is glossy.
- Scatter over the feta and fold it in with a few gentle turns, so it stays in pieces.
- Taste, add more salt if it needs it, and serve. The cooked quinoa keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you can make it ahead and toss the salad when you need it.