Tossed with a zesty lemon vinaigrette, Mediterranean Herb Quinoa Salad features the fresh flavors of tomato and green onions with herbed feta cheese and earthy pumpkin seed for crunch. Serve as a summer salad or stuffed in a falafel pita bread sandwich.
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Sometimes mistakes are the best thing that can happen
While that sounds really deep and philosophical, the mistake I’m talking about here happened in a grocery store.
Now I’ve spend a lot of time in grocery stores. When we had our café I was in at least one of them every single day and knew the layout so well that I could fly through the aisles in no time flat. The faster I got done at the store the more time I’d have to get stuff made at the café.
These days I have no real reason to hurry, but as the habit is hard to break, I still find myself sprinting through stores. I’m pretty sure this is what caused the fortuitous mistake. I grabbed what I thought was my normal feta cheese and didn’t realize until checking out that I had Mediterranean Herb feta cheese. Oh well, it sounded tasty, and there was NO WAY I was going back for more shopping!
the Mediterranean herb quinoa salad recipe comes together
The next day I was thinking about creating a summer style salad using leftover quinoa when I remembered the feta. Perfect! The Mediterranean flavors of the feta dictated the other salad ingredients, all of which I had on hand: cherry tomatoes, parsley and green onions. And to bring it all together the bright and zesty flavor of my favorite lemon vinaigrette.
recipe notes
what is quinoa and why should i eat it?
While quinoa has been referred to as the “mother of all grains”, it’s actually not cereal grass but a starchy seed related to spinach and chard. All we really need to know is that it’s super duper good for us — being gluten free and rich in fiber, iron and protein. It can be used as a substitution for rice and couscous. Compared to rice, it cooks faster (15 minutes), is higher in fiber and protein and lower in carbohydrates. Read more about quinoa.
can i make Mediterranean herb quinoa salad ahead?
Definitely, with a few caveats. To prepare a few hours ahead just mix all ingredients and place in the fridge until serving time. For longer storage, mix all ingredients except the pumpkin seed and dressing and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, toss with the dressing and pumpkin seed. This keeps the pumpkin seed from getting soggy so they can add their delightful crunch to the salad.
what if I only have plain feta?
Mediterranean Herb Quinoa Salad will still be delicious made with plain feta! You might consider adding some chopped red bell pepper, black olives and red onion to add extra flavor.
how do i serve the salad?
- Piled atop fresh arugula or other salad greens
- In a pita with falafel or roasted chicken and shredded lettuce
- As part of a salad platter with Corn Salad, hummus, Kalamata olives and pita wedges
how to make Mediterranean herb quinoa salad
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes, then measure out 3 cups for the salad, and store the rest in the fridge for 3-5 days. While you can freeze cooked quinoa, it seems a bit unnecessary as you can cook a fresh batch in only 15 minutes.
- Toast pumpkin seed. I buy raw seed and toast them in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until they begin to pop and just start to turn brown. They will burn in the blink of an eye so keep a close watch!
- Make Lemon Vinaigrette.
- Mix quinoa, veggies, feta cheese and pumpkin seed.
- Add dressing and toss well.
- Serve over greens or in a pita with falafel or roasted chicken, lamb or beef.
- Store leftovers in a covered bowl in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Have leftover quinoa? Make chili!
Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Quinoa Chili
Mediterranean Herb Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups quinoa, cooked
- ¾ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup sliced green onions about 3 onions
- ½ cup ATHENOS Mediterranean Herb Feta Cheese
- ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seed
- ½ cup LEMON VINAIGRETTE recipe at camptopisaw.com
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool.
- Combine quinoa, tomatoes, green onions, feta cheese and pumpkin seed in a serving bowl.
- Pour the Lemon Vinaigrette over the salad. (You may not need all the dressing -- just keep tasting until it's the way you like it!) Stir well to combine.
- Serve over a bed of arugula or other greens, in a pita bread with falafel or roasted chicken, beef or lamb or as part of a salad sampler served with pita wedges.