The Best Quinoa Salad

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Fluffy quinoa not only provides a base for peppers, olives, and cucumbers, it provides you with essential nutrients, protein, and fiber, aligns with so many diets, and tastes incredible. All future lunches will pale when compared to the Best Quinoa Salad.

2006. That was the year the Olympics were held in Torino, Italy, the world lost a crocodile hunter, and registration opened on Facebook. It was also the year I discovered quinoa.

Sure, quinoa had existed before 2006 but only those of you around back then can speak to the impact it had on meal prep. Rice took a temporary backseat. As did potatoes. Salads no longer had to include lettuce or spinach to still be healthy. It was a game changer for parents who wanted to provide healthier meals for their family. It also impacted those busy full-time office workers who were sick of letting convenience trump nutrition. Finally, they could make a quick meal the night before and have a healthy, FILLING salad to take for lunch the next day.

For my part, I set about creating the right combination of veggies and other ingredients that would sit right with the nuttiness of quinoa. What you are reading is the result of that effort. Want a lunch that doesn’t skip out on taste, nutrition, and texture (yes, you have to have that crunch) while remaining a cinch to make? Read on.

What else can I do with quinoa?

The reason (well, one of the reasons) quinoa made such a splash was because it was so versatile. It was popping up in so many recipes and meals, people couldn’t keep up with all its uses. It serves as a side dish on its own (try cooking it in chicken or veggie broth for a hint of flavor); it can be the base not only for a salad, such as the one you’re making now, but as the base of a quinoa bowl, made with roasted/grilled veggies and grilled chicken, tofu, or beans; speaking of bowls, you can use it in one suited for breakfast instead of rolled oats; it can replace rice in stuffed peppers, stir-frys, and pilafs; you can use it to make homemade burgers along with breadcrumb and egg; you can even make pudding with it by cooking it in milk and adding a bit of honey and vanilla extract. It’s true: You can have quinoa in every meal of the day!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 lemon
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 scallions (white and green parts)
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
1 English cucumber
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

How to Make The Best Quinoa Salad

Step 1: Rinse the quinoa thoroughly to remove any bitterness, then cook it as per the instructions on the package.

Step 2: Prepare the dressing by combining lemon juice and zest, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until well blended. Adjust the flavors to your taste.

Step 3: Mix the cooked quinoa with the dressing in the bowl, ensuring it’s fully coated. Let it cool to allow the flavors to meld.

Step 4: Chop the scallions, bell peppers, and cucumber, and halve the olives. Gently fold these fresh veggies into the cooled quinoa.

Step 5: Top the salad with crumbled feta cheese and give it a final toss before serving. Enjoy this delightful salad at room temperature or chilled.

FAQs & Tips

How do I store this quinoa salad?

You can make quinoa for the work week, as it’s good for up to five days. As for the salad, you can make it a day before you plan on eating it. This will let the flavors meld but won’t compromise the texture. Any leftovers can go in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for no longer than three days. Beyond this point, it may become mushy, thanks to the water in the vegetables. I don’t recommend freezing the salad; again, the water/moisture in it won’t survive the thawing process.

How do I prep the quinoa?

Quinoa is very simple to make. If you can cook rice, you can cook quinoa. First, you have the option of toasting the quinoa on a dry pan if you wanted to bring out its nutty flavor. Just be careful you don’t burn it; the quinoa should only be in the pan for a few minutes. Then, rinse the quinoa to remove the bitterness. Once rinsed, the quinoa goes into a pot along with twice as much water (i.e., 2 parts water, 1 part quinoa). If you wanted something a bit more flavorful, use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth instead of water. Bring to a boil then cover and let simmer for 15–20 minutes. Once all the water has been absorbed, remove it from the heat and let it sit (covered) for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork. Quinoa can be kinda plain, so experiment with adding salt, pepper, herbs, spices, or a splash of lemon juice or vinegar.

Are there different types of quinoa?

Yep. You get your choice of red, white, or black. The white variety is probably the one you’re most familiar with. It’s a good middle-of-the-road quality to it: it’s mild to taste, fluffs up nicely, and takes the least amount of time to cook. Red quinoa is slightly more stubborn. It’s nuttier, chewier, and takes a bit longer to cook. Black is the toughest type of quinoa to the point it has almost a crunch to it. It is very nutty but is also slightly sweet. And predictably, it takes longer to cook than the white and red kinds. From a nutrition standpoint, they are all pretty much the same, granting you lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, so don’t think one is healthier than the others.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve already gone over what you can add quinoa to (see above), so I’ll now go over what you can add to quinoa. If you would like something more substantial, you can add more protein in the form of chicken, tofu, chickpeas, black beans, or shrimp. Want a crunch? Sprinkle in some almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. For a touch of sweetness, dried cranberries, raisins, or apricots will do nicely. And don’t feel tied to the feta cheese I use here; you should also consider Parmesan or goat’s cheese.