Quinoa is the seed of a plant native to the Andes mountains in South America where it has been grown for thousands of years. The plant is botanically related to amaranth. Quinoa is healthy because it is naturally higher in protein than most whole grains (7 grams per 1/4 cup of dry quinoa versus 3 grams for brown rice.) It is also a source of iron, folate and magnesium and also a source of Zinc.

Is Quinoa Salad Healthy?

Yes! This recipe is bursting with healthy ingredients. Parsley is high in Vitamin C and tomatoes are high in lycopene. Thanks to the pine nuts and olive oil this salad is a good source of healthy unsaturated fats. Saturated fat should only take up 10% of your total calories. This recipe follows the guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet , which is widely considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. For those of you who follow a gluten-free diet, you'll be happy to know that quinoa is naturally gluten-free!

Can Quinoa Salad Be Made Ahead?

Yes. Keep it in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Stir well before serving. If you are making it for a special occasion, I would recommend making it only 6 hours ahead, so that the vegetables don't weep and the olive oil doesn't start to harden up the texture of the salad.

Is Quinoa a Whole Grain?

No quinoa is not a whole grain if you look at the botanical definition of what a grain is. Whole grains are seeds of grasses. Quinoa is also a seed but comes from another type of plant in the Amaranth family, not from a grass at all. To make matters confusing, quinoa is often referred to as an Ancient Grain . Which means it has not been genetically modified over the years. For practical purposes, when a health expert says to eat mostly whole grains , know that quinoa can be lumped in with actual whole grains because it serves a similar purpose of "starch" or "cereal grain" in our diet.

Why Does Quinoa Have To Be Rinsed?

Quinoa has to be rinsed because the plant it comes from produces a naturally occurring substance called saponin that helps to protect it from birds and pests. It is bitter to the taste and has a soap-like flavor. It can easily be rinsed off. As I explained when I shared my Quinoa Stuffing , quinoa is sold pre-rinsed or not. You will have to look at the packaging to see if yours is pre-rinsed or not. If you bought it in the bulk department, err on the safe side and give it a rinse!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Name: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup quinoa, rinsed; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 1 ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided; ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup lemon juice; ½ European cucumber, peeled and chopped into cubes; 1 ½ cup chopped parsley; 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved; ½ cup chopped mint; ½ cup crumbled feta cheese; 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half; 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

Description

This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is a healthy and tasty side dish for summer parties. It is popping with flavor and loaded with cucumbers, feta and olives with the addition of parsley and mint.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 European cucumber, peeled and chopped into cubes
1 1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

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Instructions

Combine 2 ½ cups water and quinoa and bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer and cook until the quinoa is tender and absorbs all of the liquid, 15 to 20 minutes.
Mash garlic with 1 teaspoon of the salt on a cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife. Scrape into a large bowl. Whisk in oil, lemon juice and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
Add hot quinoa to the dressing and let cool, about 30 minutes.
Stir in cucumber, parsley, tomatoes, mint, feta, olives and pine nuts. Chill or serve immediately.

Notes

To Make this salad ahead of time, and don’t want to worry about wilting. Follow through step two (let the quinoa cool in the dressing.) And then keep the mix ins cut but separate. Stir it together just before serving.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Category: Salad
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 385 cal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 206 mg
Fat: 28 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 6 g