Healthy Delicious Greek Salad with Quinoa, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion, Kalamata Olives and Feta Cheese. So easy!
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When summer is in full swing and the garden is producing lots of tomatoes and cucumbers, one of our favorite salads to beat the heat is my dad’s Greek salad.
Quinoa behaves like a grain, but it’s really a seed and goes really well with cheese. The nutty flavor of the quinoa balances the acidity of the tomatoes and dressing, while the warm softness plays well against the cool crunch of the pickles.
It’s a salad, but it’s also a healthy meal in itself. Also perfect for a summer potluck!
Greek quinoa salad
The quinoa takes about 15 minutes to cook and 10 minutes to cool. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables and herbs for this recipe.
ingredients
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1 cup dry quinoa
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1 teaspoon of salt
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2 cups diced cucumbers, seeded if cucumbers are very mushy and peeled if cucumbers have thick skins
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1/3 cup finely diced red onion
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2 cups cherry or sun tomatoes, halved
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2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
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1/2 cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
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1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
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1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
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1/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
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1 1/2 teaspoons salt
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1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (omit if vegan option)
method
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Cook quinoa:
Cook quinoa in salted water (1 teaspoon salt to 2 cups water) according to the quinoa box directions. (Usually this means heating 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water until simmering, then reducing heat to low, covering, and cooking for 15 minutes.)
Remove from the stove and fluff with a fork. Spread cooked quinoa on a baking sheet to cool quickly.
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Prepare vegetables and herbs:
While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables and herbs for the salad.
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Mix with olive oil, vinegar, salt, feta:
In a large bowl, combine chilled quinoa, cucumber, onion, tomato, pepper, olives, and herbs (mint, oregano, parsley).
Mix with olive oil to gently combine.
Sprinkle with vinegar, salt and crumbled feta cheese and mix gently.
Serve immediately.
