Quinoa Salad
from kristineskitchenblog.comThis quinoa salad is so delicious, with fresh veggies, feta cheese and sweet golden raisins. We love it for lunch or as a side dish with grilled chicken or baked pork tenderloin. Everyone will be asking for the recipe!
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 461kcal
Ingredients
To Cook Quinoa:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ¾ cups water
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
- black pepper to taste
Remaining Salad Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups diced English cucumber
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup golden raisins or regular raisins
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped whole roasted almonds
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it well under cold running water. Drain.
- Bring 1 ¾ cups water to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa and stir. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 12-14 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Remove pot from heat, let rest with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then transfer quinoa to a bowl to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Once quinoa is cool, pour dressing over it and stir to combine. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, raisins, feta, almonds and parsley. Stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Salad can be served immediately or chilled for a few hours before serving. Quinoa salad can be stored for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- To save time prepping the salad, you can cook the quinoa ahead of time and refrigerate for a few hours to cool it.
- Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish. Nutrition estimate is based off of 4 servings.
- Add chickpeas or chicken for more protein.
- Add kalamata olives or green olives.
- Add spinach or baby arugula.
- Substitute toasted walnuts or toasted pine nuts for the almonds
- Add avocado. Be sure to add it right before serving if meal prepping the salad.
- Try adding other vegetables, such as chopped celery, bell pepper or shredded carrot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 salad | Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 644mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 536IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 3mg
