Greek Quinoa Salad

Name: Greek Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups organic quinoa cooked (starting with about ¾ cup dry); 1 cup organic tomato (chopped); 1 cup red bell pepper (chopped); 1 cup cucumber (chopped; peeled first if waxed); ½ cup red onion (chopped); ⅓ cup kalamata olives (or green olives, pitted and diced); 2 tbsp tahini; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed); 1 tbsp maple syrup (or date paste, link in Chef’s Notes); 1 tsp dijon mustard; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp salt (optional); ¼ tsp ground black pepper (optional); ¼ cup parsley (optional; chopped)

Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN

2 weeks ago

Yields4 ServingsPrep Time20 minsTotal Time20 mins

Ingredients

2 cups organic quinoa cooked (starting with about ¾ cup dry)

1 cup organic tomato (chopped)

1 cup red bell pepper (chopped)

1 cup cucumber (chopped; peeled first if waxed)

½ cup red onion (chopped)

⅓ cup kalamata olives (or green olives, pitted and diced)

Dressing

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

1 tbsp maple syrup (or date paste, link in Chef’s Notes)

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt (optional)

¼ tsp ground black pepper (optional)

¼ cup parsley (optional; chopped)

Directions

Add all of the salad ingredients to a bowl and mix together.

Add the dressing ingredients to a mason jar or bowl and shake the mason jar (with lid on) or whisk together in a bowl until all of the tahini is dissolved. Taste for more ingredients of choice (more oregano for herb flavor, lemon for acidic, or maple syrup for sweetness).

Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and mix well.

Stir in parsley, if using, and add salt and pepper to taste, if using.

Chill your vegan quinoa salad for at least one hour in the refrigerator or overnight.

Chef’s Notes

Substitutions
Instead of quinoa, use organic millet or brown rice.

Substitute other veggies of your choice for the red bell pepper, cucumber, and tomato.

Instead of olives, use chopped, sun-dried tomatoes.

Whole Food Sweetener
Use date paste in place of the maple syrup.

Prep Ahead
Make the quinoa ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 30 days.

Make the dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Storage
Store leftover quinoa salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 30 days.

Nutrition Facts

4 servings

Serving size

223g

Amount per serving
Calories220

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g12%
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 120mg6%
Total Carbohydrate 30g11%
Protein 7g

Calcium 70mg6%
Iron 2.5mg14%
Potassium 410mg9%
Vitamin D 0mcg0%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.