Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe (Quick & Easy!)

Jump to recipeMake the best Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe in minutes! Quinoa chickpea salad with feta makes a delicious, simple side dish.

By Maya Krampf

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This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe with feta cheese combines so many amazing flavors into one bowl! Quinoa chickpea salad has simple ingredients and similar flavors to chopped Mediterranean salad, but with satisfying quinoa. Plate it with grilled meats, veggies, and Greek tzatziki sauce for a fresh and easy meal with just minutes of hands-on prep.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe

• Fresh, herby flavor
• Crisp veggies with tender quinoa
• Basic ingredients
• Done in 30 minutes
• Easy gluten-free side dish with lots of fresh vegetables
• Perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, meal prep, and any Mediterranean-style meal

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for Mediterranean or Greek quinoa salad, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Quinoa Chickpea Salad:

• Quinoa – I used white quinoa, but you can use variety of quinoa you prefer.
• Diced Vegetables – I used red bell pepper and cucumber, but see below for other ideas.
• Chickpeas – Use canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained. This is the most convenient option, but you could also cook your own.
• Fresh Parsley – You could also replace this with other fresh herbs, such as fresh basil. Cilantro is also common in quinoa salads, but it doesn’t pair as well with the Mediterranean vibe of this one.
• Feta Cheese – Adds tangy Mediterranean flavor. If you need to avoid dairy or want a vegan version, you can omit it.
• Green Olives – Optional. The briny taste of olives adds another layer of flavor to this zesty salad.
• Shallots – Optional. They add a subtle crunch to this recipe for quinoa salad. Finely diced white or red onion could work as a substitute.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Dressing:

• Olive Oil – Use the highest quality extra-virgin olive oil you can. Avocado oil would also work, but olive oil pairs best with the other flavors in this salad.
• Lemon Juice – Fresh squeezed juice tastes best in this cold quinoa salad with feta, but you can use bottled lemon juice if you need to. You can also substitute lime juice, but the flavor of lemon juice works better in this recipe.
• White Wine Vinegar – You can also use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
• Dijon Mustard – Adds flavor and emulsifies the dressing.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

This section shows how to make quinoa Mediterranean salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Cook quinoa. Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse for about one minute. Transfer to a small saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, rest, then fluff with a fork.

TIP: Should you rinse quinoa?

Although some quinoa brands come pre-rinsed, this step ensures that the cooked quinoa will not taste bitter or “off” in any way.

2. Assemble. Combine cooked quinoa, bell peppers, cucumbers, chickpeas, parsley, feta, green olives (if using), and shallots (if using) in a large bowl.
3. Make dressing. Whisk all dressing ingredients — olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, sea salt, and black pepper — together in a small bowl.

4. Toss. Pour dressing onto the quinoa salad and mix to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or place in the fridge for 1 hour to let flavors develop.

• Add or change veggies – Try this salad with cherry tomatoes or different color bell peppers, or red onion and fresh garlic instead of shallot.
• Change the chickpeas – Try substituting them with cooked lentils, canellini beans, or even black beans.
• Swap olives – Use kalamata olives, black olives, or capers instead of green olives.
• Add greens – Serve salad over fresh spinach or kale, or cook down greens and stir them directly into the salad.

Cover and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Enjoy cold — no reheating needed!

Can You Freeze Quinoa Salad?

Quinoa salad recipes don’t freeze well, as the other included components will change in texture. However, you can freeze any plain leftover quinoa for up to 3 months.

Pair this salad with your favorite plain proteins, or add extra flavor with these easy dishes:

• Chicken – Try this salad with baked chicken Caprese, sun-dried tomato chicken, or grilled chicken kabobs.
• Fish and seafood – This salad pairs well with creamy Tuscan salmon, pan seared halibut, or lemon garlic butter shrimp with a side of Greek lemon potatoes.
• Lamb – Serve this salad alongside gyro meat, lamb kofta kebab, or baked lamb chops.

Salad doesn’t need lettuce to be tasty! Try these fresh, simple, and flavorful ones next, all perfect for Mediterranean meals:

• Fine Mesh Sieve – Helps wash the quinoa and improve its flavor.
• Saucepan – One of my favorites for all-purpose cooking.
• Serving Bowl – For easy, elegant presentation.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe With Feta

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup Uncooked quinoa ▢
• 1 large Bell pepper (diced) ▢
• 1 large Cucumber (diced) ▢
• 1 14. 5-oz can Chickpeas (rinsed and drained) ▢
• 3/4 cup Fresh parsley (chopped) ▢
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese (crumbled; omit for dairy-free or vegan version) ▢
• 1/2 cup Green olives (optional; pitted and halved) ▢
• 2 medium Shallots (optional; minced) ▢

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Olive oil ▢
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice ▢
• 2 tbsp White wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) ▢
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard ▢
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt (to taste) ▢
• 1/8 tsp Black pepper (to taste) ▢

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Place the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and run cold water over it for about a minute.

2. Transfer quinoa to a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup (118 ml) of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the quinoa absorbs all the water.

3. Remove from heat. Cover with a lid and rest for 5 minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, bell peppers, cucumbers, chickpeas, parsley, feta, green olives (if using), and shallots (if using).

5. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.

6. Pour the dressing over the salad, and mix to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed.

7. Serve immediately, or if you have time, preferably refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors develop.

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Serving size: 1 cup

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 261

Fat 11. 6g

Protein 9.6g

Total Carbs 30.8g

Net Carbs 24.4g

Fiber 6.4g

Sugar 4.1g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: Mediterranean quinoa salad, quinoa chickpea salad, quinoa salad, quinoa salad recipe, quinoa salad with feta

Calories: 261 kcal

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Southwestern Quinoa Salad (Video) – Kalyn’s Kitchen

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This Southwestern Quinoa Salad does have some carbs, but you can use more red pepper and fewer beans for a lower-carb option! And just replace the cilantro with green onion if you’re not a cilantro fan.

PIN Southwestern Quinoa Salad to try it later!

Lots of people are becoming fond of the South American seed product called quinoa (keen-wah), and I knew quinoa had become mainstream when I noticed you could buy a giant bag of it at Costco! And although I resisted for a week or two, eventually I bought one of those huge bags and stored it in the freezer.

I made a lot of tasty things with my big bag of quinoa, but this Southwestern Quinoa Salad is probably my favorite quinoa dish. And I’ve enjoyed this so much through the years that I’m featuring it for my Friday Favorites pick this week!

Besides the cumin-lime-chile flavors in the dressing, I loved this salad with quinoa because the crunch of the red pepper, the softness of the beans, and the slight chewiness of the quinoa was such a nice combination of textures. The salad stayed good in the fridge for days, so it would be perfect to make on the weekend and take for lunch during the week. And if you haven’t tried quinoa yet, this quinoa salad may be the recipe that will turn you into a quinoa fan.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• quinoa (rinsed if needed, check the package)
• water
• salt
• red bell pepper
• canned black beans
• green onion
• fresh cilantro (or use more green onion)
• fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
• Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), or other all-purpose seasoning blend
• ground cumin (affiliate link)
• ground Ancho chile (affiliate link) (see notes)
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• extra-virgin olive oil

What is Quinoa?

Many people think of quinoa as a grain, but it’s actually a seed and this healthy ingredient is loaded with fiber and high in protein. Read about health benefits and nutrition facts of quinoa to find out more about this healthy food.

How can you make Southwestern Quinoa Salad lower in carbs?

Quinoa does have some carbs, but it’s also high in fiber and protein, and it’s the black beans that have the most carbs here. If you want to make a version of Southwest Quinoa Salad that’s lower in carbs, use two red peppers and half as many black beans. That will still be delicious!

Make Quinoa Salad for Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

How to make Southwestern Quinoa Salad:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Check the label to see if your quinoa has to be rinsed and rinse if needed.
2. Then combine the quinoa and water with a little salt and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
3. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool while you prep other ingredients.
4. Drain one can of black beans into a colander, rinse until no more foam appears, and let them drain until they are dry.
5. Chop up a red bell pepper into small pieces (about the same size as the black beans.)
6. Stir together the lime juice, Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), ground cumin (affiliate link), ground Ancho chile (affiliate link) or chili powder, and black pepper and then whisk in the olive oil to make the dressing.
7. Thinly slice the green onions. Wash, dry, and chop the cilantro. (Oops, didn’t take a photo of that!)
8. When the quinoa is fairly cool, stir together the quinoa, diced red pepper, black beans, and sliced green onions so they are well combined. Then stir in enough of the dressing so all the ingredients are moistened. (Save any extra dressing to add after the salad has been refrigerated.)
9. Gently stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

Make it a Meal:

This salad would make a lovely side dish for something like Spicy Broiled Shrimp, Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts, Spicy Air Fryer Fish, Chicken Souvlaki, or Cuban Flank Steak.

More Tasty Ideas with Quinoa:

• Quinoa Avocado Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Stuffed Tomatoes with Quinoa, Soft Tofu, Basil, and Shallots from White on Rice Couple
• Quinoa Side Dish with Pine Nuts from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Black Bean and Quinoa Salad Stuffed Peppers from Everyday Southwest
• Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup quinoa (rinsed if needed, check the package)
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into small dice
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp.  Spike Seasoning (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground Ancho chile pepper (see notes)
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Check the quinoa package to see if it needs to be rinsed (it often does) and rinse in a fine-mesh strainer if needed.
2. Combine quinoa, water, and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
3. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it cool while you prep other ingredients.
4. Drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears.
5. Let beans drain until they are quite dry (or pat dry with paper towels if you want to speed it up.)
6. Cut out the stem and remove seeds from the red bell pepper and cut into very small dice (about the size of the black beans.)
7. Slice the green onions into thin slices and wash, dry, and chop the cilantro.
8. When the quinoa is fairly cool, combine quinoa, black beans, diced red bell pepper, and sliced green onion in a bowl.
9. Add enough dressing to moisten all the ingredients.  (You probably won’t need all the dressing, but save the extra to stir into any leftover salad that’s been in the fridge.)
10. Gently stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.
11. This keeps very well in the fridge for several days.
12. The salad absorbs the dressing when it’s refrigerated, so it’s best with a little more dressing stirred in when you’re eating the leftover salad.

Notes

Just use regular chili powder if you don’t have Ancho chili.

This recipe adapted from Santa Fe Quinoa Salad at Food and Wine.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 185Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 727mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Even though quinoa is a seed and it’s a low-glycemic ingredient, this Southwestern Quinoa Salad would be limited to phase 2 or 3 for the original South Beach Diet and it’s probably too high in carbs for traditional low-carb diet plans unless you follow the tips above to make a version that’s lower in carbs. But quinoa is gluten-free, vegan, low-fat, and high in protein, fiber, and nutrients.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This salad was first posted in 2012. It was last updated with more information in 2023.

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Quinoa Keto Bowl Recipe. Calorie, chemical composition and nutritional value.

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Nutritional value per 100 g

Content per serving			% of RSP
	Calories	124.4 kcal	-%
	Proteins	5.9 g	-%
	Fats	7. 1 g	-%
	Carbohydrates	7.7 g	-%
	Dietary fiber	2.5 g	-%
	Water	75.3 g	-%

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For those who are tired of buckwheat: 5 delicious recipes with quinoa

Quick and healthy – it’s not just about scrambled eggs and buckwheat. It’s time to diversify the diet, for example, quinoa. We have collected several recipes – from simple salads to exotic dishes.

Black quinoa and salmon

Recipe by Chef Sergei Andreychenko, Sartoria Lamberti

Ingredients:

Method of preparation:

1. Mix lemon zest, salt, cane sugar, fennel seeds, pink peppercorns and in the resulting marinate the salmon mixture for a day.

2. Boil the quinoa and cook the poached egg separately.

3. Put the boiled quinoa, salmon, sliced ​​avocado and poached egg in a deep dish, pour over the hollandaise sauce.

4. Garnish with chervil, lettuce mix, flax and chia seeds and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds on top.

Caramel Carrots with Hummus and Quinoa

Recipe by Chef Dmitry Pogorelov, Hamster Restaurant

Ingredients:

• Mini Carrot Confit – 200g
• Teriyaki – 10g
• Boiled Quinoa – 50g
• Pine Nuts – 10g
• Butter – 10g
• Hummus – 70 g
• Sour cream and feta sauce – 30 g
• Sprouts – 1 g

To make caramelized carrots:

• Carrots – 200 g
• Butter – 35 g
• Sugar – 8 g 9 0132
• Star anise — 1 g
• Zira — 1 g
• Dry curry – 1 g
• Salt – 2 g

For the preparation of sour cream and feta sauce:

• Sour cream 20% – 200 ml
• Feta – 130 g
• Grainy mustard – 20 g
• Salt according to to taste

Method of preparation:

1. To prepare caramelized carrots: peel them, cut off excess tops and mix with all ingredients. We place the resulting mixture in a vacuum bag and cook in the oven for two hours at a temperature of 82 degrees.
2. Put the carrots with the contents of the package in a saucepan and put on low heat, covering with a sheet of parchment. Separately, heat the hummus, as well as the quinoa with butter, where we add pine nuts, salt and pepper.
3. Add teriyaki to carrots with caramelized sauce, mix well and remove from heat.
4. Put the hummus and quinoa on a plate, then the carrots and pour over the caramel sauce. Along the edges, add the sauce of sour cream and feta, prepared from the indicated ingredients. We decorate with greenery.

Quinoa with beetroot and avocado

Chef Ruslan Zakirov’s recipe, Kuznyahouse restaurant

Ingredients:

• Quinoa — 30 g
• Raisins — 10 g
• Chicken broth — 60 g
• Roasted beetroot — 160 g
• Avocado puree – 50 g
• Olive oil – 20 g
• Seasoning – 1 g
• Salt – 1 g

Method:

9 0129 Soak the quinoa for 10-15 minutes. Then cook in chicken broth with raisins and spices.
1. Put the resulting mass into a dish, put the baked beets and avocado puree on top.
2. Spray with olive oil.

Squid with eggplant and quinoa

Chef Dmitry Eremeev’s recipe, Turandot restaurant

Ingredients:

• Cherry tomatoes – 17 g
• Shimi mushrooms ji — 17 g
• Boiled black quinoa — 10 g
• Wasabi Mashed Potato – 40g
• Battered Eggplant – 50g
• Cilantro to taste
• Squid fillet – 45 g

To prepare the squid sauce:

• Sweet and spicy sauce – 200 g
• Soy sauce – 35 g 9013 2
• Yuzu Sauce – 35 g

For cooking potato Wasabi puree:

• Potato – 150 g
• Butter – 7 g
• Cream 35% – 25 g
• Wasabi – 10 g

For cooking Quinoa:

• Quinoa – 1 tbsp.
• Water – 2 tbsp.
• Cuttlefish ink – 2 ml
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking method:

1. To prepare quinoa, thoroughly rinse the quinoa and cook in salted and peppered water until softened (about 15 minutes after boiling ). Then add cuttlefish ink, mix, remove from heat and let it brew under the lid for another 5 minutes.
2. Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water, then mash, add butter, cream, wasabi and beat thoroughly with a whisk.
3. Fry the squid fillet in vegetable oil (in a Teflon pan). At the end, be sure to add butter and a mix of sauces (sweet-spicy, soy and Yuzu).
4. Eggplant cut into large cubes, salt and leave for 30 minutes. After we wash, dry, roll in flour and fry in a large amount of oil.
5. Burning cherry tomatoes and shimji mushrooms.
6. Arrange mashed potatoes, squid fillets, quinoa, tomatoes, shimiji mushrooms and eggplant on a plate.
7. Decorate the finished dish with cilantro.

Salad with quinoa and vegetables

Chef Dmitry Pogorelov’s recipe, Hamster restaurant

Ingredients:

• Pickled zucchini – 20 g
• Cucumbers – 20 g
• Pea pods — 20 g
• Pickled cauliflower — 15g
• Pickled Peppers – 20g
• Quinoa – 65g
• Sprouts – 1g
• Pumpkin Seeds – 5g
• Tomatoes – 20g
• Wasabi sauce – 25 g
• Green basil – 6 g
• Olive oil – 10 ml
• Salt to taste

Method: Cook the quinoa in boiling salted water for 7 minutes.