A healthy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad filled with fresh veggies, creamy feta, salty olives, and plenty of fresh herbs. Heart healthy quinoa provides the base for this delicious (and easy!) salad that everyone will love!
This healthy Mediterranean salad is my new favorite side dish! Not only is it so easy to make, it also uses heart healthy quinoa which is full of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals that are so good for you.
If you have never tried quinoa before, this salad is such a great place to start. Chilled quinoa is combined with fresh vegetables and other delicious ingredients like creamy feta cheese. This recipe is naturally gluten free, vegetarian, and can easily be made dairy-free as well if you choose to leave out the feta cheese.
Cooked Quinoa: If you have never cooked with quinoa before, this is a great first recipe to try. Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) acts like a whole grain but it is actually a seed. It has a somewhat earthy nutty flavor and can be prepared similarly to rice. It is full of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, and works as a great base for this salad.
Kalamata Olives: The flavor of Kalamata olives works perfectly in this salad, but feel free to use your favorite type of olive if you have one. Pitted olives make this salad easy to eat and enjoy.
Marinated Artichoke Hearts: These add so much flavor to the salad. I like to look for artichokes that have been marinated in water, oil, and a variety of seasonings.
Red Onion: Adds just the right amount of onion of flavor. Slice them thinly to you don’t end up with a huge bite of red onion.
Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes work really well in this salad. Halve the tomatoes before adding them to the salad.
Feta Cheese: There is nothing like delicious creamy feta. You can crumble or dice the feta cheese, your choice.
Fresh Parsley: Adds a nice freshness and brightness to the salad.
Step One: Add quinoa, salt, water, and a little oil to a pot with a lid.
Step Two: Bring the quinoa to a boil, cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Step Three: Simmer the quinoa for 15 minutes and then remove from the heat.
Step Four: Let the quinoa sit, off the heat, for 10 minutes and then uncover.
Step Five: Fluff with a fork and serve.
For all the best tips and tricks on how to make quinoa, including the best advice on how to keep it from getting mushy, be sure to give this post on How to Make Quinoa a read. Plus, we have a list of our favorite quinoa recipes like this Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad.
The Best Easy Dressing
Olive Oil: be sure to use an olive oil that you really enjoy the taste of when making this dressing.
Red Wine Vinegar: this is my go-to wine for this dressing.
Lemon Juice: adds a bit of brightness to the dressing and salad.
Oregano: you’ll need a bit of dried oregano to add to this dressing.
Garlic: fresh garlic really just takes the dressing to the next level. To save time, you can use pre-minced frozen garlic cubes if you like!
How to Make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Step One: Add the quinoa, kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, red onion, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and feta cheese to a large mixing bowl.
Step Two: Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor and blend until well combined.
Step Three: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and then stir the salad together until everything is well combined.
Step Four: Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, garnish with a little more fresh parsley, serve and enjoy!
My Favorite Tips and Tricks
This is such a simple and easy recipe but here are a few tips to get the best Mediterranean Quinoa Salad every time:
Cook your quinoa in advanceso it is fully chilled before making the salad. If you don’t have time to prep the quinoa in advance, you can cook the quinoa and then chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool it down a bit.
Swap the quinoa!Don’t love quinoa? Swap it for another grain like brown rice or use whole wheat orzo instead!
When making the dressing for this salad, finely mince the garlic before adding it to your blender or food processor. This will ensure that there are huge chunks of garlic in your salad dressing.
This salad is customizable!Feel free to add in extra veggies like cucumber, bell pepper, or whatever your heart desires.
Need to make this salad dairy free?Leave out the feta cheese. You could even sub avocado if you prefer.
This salad tastes even better as it sits!Feel free to make it in the morning and serve it later that night.
How to Serve
This salad is great on its own but it’s also the perfect pairing to a few of my favorite recipes. If you need some ideas try one of these:
You can store this salad in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you would like to make it in advance you could also do that! Just dress the salad a few hours before serving.
I hope you give this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad a try! It’s easy to make and delicious! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know!
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Love this salad in the summertime, super refreshing and great flavor! Keeps surprisingly well over a couple of days so I make it as a little meal prep dish for a quick (and tasty) lunch. I added some cucumbers as well since I love those in my Mediterranean salad!
Made this as a food prep meal for work lunches this week and it is SO good! Definitely going to be a staple in my lunch rotation. 🙂 I often find it difficult to get excited about healthy lunches but the flavors in this one have me watching the clock in anticipation for lunchtime!
This recipe was a huge hit! Very tasty and easy to make ahead. I made this for a family gathering and I added red bell pepper and left the olives out to please someone who doesn’t like them (sadness!!!). It was still delicious sans olives.
Just as a FYI, I doubled the recipe but only ended up using about 1.5x the dressing. Your mileage may vary.
This is a recipe that I will absolutely make again (with olives) and I can see it becoming a go-to for potlucks once those happen again post-pandemic.
I like to have vegetarian meals for lunch, and this really hit the spot! The flavor combo is delicious! I added chickpeas for a little extra protein. I will definitely make this again!
Just made this yesterday, and it turned out great! I love salads made with simple whole ingredients, especially during the summer, that still pack a ton of flavor. I’ve been taking this to lunch and putting some grilled shrimp on top for extra protein. Will definitely make again!
I was looking to add vegetarian meal into my weekly plan and this recipe hit the spot! So quick and easy to make, I will definitely be having this again!
I have been working my way through your recipes, and this is a winner too! I added diced cucumber and chickpeas—I love how customizable this is. Next for spaghetti squash and meat sauce for tonight!
This recipe was amazing! I was looking for more vegetarian meals and decided to try it out for dinner. Quinoa can be a hit or miss for us but the flavors in this salad and the dressing made it delicious!! I added a can of roasted chickpeas for some extra protein and they fit in great with the rest of the flavors.
This was a delicious make ahead dish. I don’t usually like olives, even in salads, but the dressing really balanced the flavors and they were not overpowering. My husband won’t eat raw onions at all, so I used some marinated red onions. This would be a great dish to fix for lunch throughout the week, as it was even better the next two days.
Made this to go as a side to a grilled out meal and it was delish! Cool and crisp so a good complement. I added a bell pepper I had in the fridge too. Got great reviews from all my family!
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Love this salad in the summertime, super refreshing and great flavor! Keeps surprisingly well over a couple of days so I make it as a little meal prep dish for a quick (and tasty) lunch. I added some cucumbers as well since I love those in my Mediterranean salad!
★★★★★
This was delicious! It kept great for a few days and made great leftovers. Super fresh and summery!
★★★★★
Made this as a food prep meal for work lunches this week and it is SO good! Definitely going to be a staple in my lunch rotation. 🙂 I often find it difficult to get excited about healthy lunches but the flavors in this one have me watching the clock in anticipation for lunchtime!
★★★★★
topped this dish with steak and it made for a great dinner! leftovers lasted me all week for lunch! so good!
Addicting! It’s super adaptable to your personal taste (I add white beans and cucumber). The dressing is so flavorful. Don’t skip the parsley!
★★★★★
This recipe was a huge hit! Very tasty and easy to make ahead. I made this for a family gathering and I added red bell pepper and left the olives out to please someone who doesn’t like them (sadness!!!). It was still delicious sans olives.
Just as a FYI, I doubled the recipe but only ended up using about 1.5x the dressing. Your mileage may vary.
This is a recipe that I will absolutely make again (with olives) and I can see it becoming a go-to for potlucks once those happen again post-pandemic.
★★★★★
I like to have vegetarian meals for lunch, and this really hit the spot! The flavor combo is delicious! I added chickpeas for a little extra protein. I will definitely make this again!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you loved it, Coby! The addition of the chickpeas sounds wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Just made this yesterday, and it turned out great! I love salads made with simple whole ingredients, especially during the summer, that still pack a ton of flavor. I’ve been taking this to lunch and putting some grilled shrimp on top for extra protein. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Grilled shrimp on top sounds absolutely delicious! I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
I was looking to add vegetarian meal into my weekly plan and this recipe hit the spot! So quick and easy to make, I will definitely be having this again!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it, Krista! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Super flavorful and great for lunches!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it, Camilla! Thanks for sharing!
I have been working my way through your recipes, and this is a winner too! I added diced cucumber and chickpeas—I love how customizable this is. Next for spaghetti squash and meat sauce for tonight!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes on the site, Emma! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was amazing! I was looking for more vegetarian meals and decided to try it out for dinner. Quinoa can be a hit or miss for us but the flavors in this salad and the dressing made it delicious!! I added a can of roasted chickpeas for some extra protein and they fit in great with the rest of the flavors.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you loved the recipe, Nichole! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe is very simple! It taste light but yet very yummy. The different ingredients blend in well together.
★★★★★
Glad you loved it, Samyra! Thanks for sharing!
Looks delicious! I love that several of the ingredients are pantry items – super easy to throw together.
★★★★★
Yes! That’s the best part! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Kelly!
We loved this recipe! It will definitely be a repeat in our household, especially during the summer months.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you loved it, Katelyn! Thanks for sharing!
We loved this! I added about 1/2 can of chickpeas for more protein. Would be great with chicken on top too for a full meal!
★★★★★
We love this recipe and it’s so easy to make! Made it for the second time tonight and will definitely be adding it into our regular rotation.
★★★★★
This is seriously one of the best salads I have ever tried! it is very easy to prepare, refreshing and delicious!
★★★★★
Delicious, refreshing, and perfect for a summer BBQ or potluck! This comes together quickly and tastes amazing!
★★★★★
This is a favorite! Love making it and having for lunch throughout the week!
★★★★★
Delicious and easy! A new summer staple in my house!
★★★★★
This was so good! We tasted it before serving our plates and couldn’t stop eating it right out of the bowl. Will definitely keep making this!
★★★★★
This was a delicious make ahead dish. I don’t usually like olives, even in salads, but the dressing really balanced the flavors and they were not overpowering. My husband won’t eat raw onions at all, so I used some marinated red onions. This would be a great dish to fix for lunch throughout the week, as it was even better the next two days.
★★★★★
This was SO delicious and perfect for summer! It’s even kid approved!
★★★★★
Made this to go as a side to a grilled out meal and it was delish! Cool and crisp so a good complement. I added a bell pepper I had in the fridge too. Got great reviews from all my family!