Quinoa Salad
Updated March 5, 2024
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1small garlic clove
- 2lemons
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- Salt and black pepper
- 3cups cooked quinoa, cold or at room temperature
- 2mini seedless or Persian cucumbers, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1bell pepper, any color, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1cup finely chopped parsley leaves and stems (see Tip)
- ½cup green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola, pitted and halved
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
343 calories; 19 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 699 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, finely grate the garlic clove. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon, then halve the lemons and squeeze in ¼ cup juice. Add the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Step 2
Stir in the quinoa, cucumbers, bell pepper, parsley and olives. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt (if bland), black pepper (if mild), olive oil (if too puckery) and lemon juice (if it needs a punch).
Tip
- The quickest way to chop a lot of parsley is to fold a small bunch in half so the leaves are under the stems. Hold onto the bunch with your non-dominant hand and finely slice the leaves and stems. Parsley stems are crunchy and concentrated with flavor; be sure to use them in your salad.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Felicity Merriman
Add halved cherry tomatoes, a couple handfuls of arugula, and feta! And some crunched up pita chips on the top give it some additional texture. Kalamata olives were great instead of green, but maybe that's just my preference.
Barbara Mora
I add black beans and sub cilantro for parsley, and fresh lime juice instead of lemon
Patricia
Add pomegranate seeds for extra zing and crunch.
Dave in AZ
I followed this recipe to the letter and it was great. I am 62 and had no idea parsley stems should be used and are full of flavor - I have been throwing them out my whole adult life. I have forever changed the way I cut up parsely after reading this recipe. This recipe makes quite a lot. It definitely will feed more than 4 people as a side. Also - start with one cup quinoa and 2 cups water - bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 to 20 which will yield 3 cups cooked.
Felicity Merriman
Also for a dressing, I use olive oil, red wine vinegar, a couple grated garlic cloves, salt pepper and oregano. Delish and zingy!!
Wendy
This is the best salad -- fresh, vibrant, and protein-packed! I make this over and over again. It's super versatile, too. I live in an olive-deprived country, so I skip those. I also skip the tomatoes because of some sensitivity to them. This salad is still delicious! Seriously, I CRAVE this salad and now usually have a big bowl of it in the refrigerator at all times.
Hildegard
Used only one lemon, added feta. Would use Kalamata olives instead of green next time.
Julie Squire
Great base recipe! I omitted bell pepper, added chickpeas (heated slightly by adding to quinoa after that was done), diced avocado, feta, mint, and green onions. Served with pita and hummus. Yum!
JM
The olives added a nice zing, but the garlic ruined it for me. Overall, not a great recipe.
Alexa
I didn't have bell peppers, so I added cherry tomatoes. I also added green onion, mint and went heavy on the parsley. The extra herbs made it much more aromatic and 'green' feeling (an arugula base would be nice too and toasted pita as a finisher). It was a great vegan picnic option.
Lauren
I added avocado, red onion, chickpeas, and sprinkled lemon juice on it as well. It it was delicious!
JessicaC
Added extra veggies, feta, and crunchy roasted chickpeas with harissa spice for a kick. It was hearty and bright, perfect for an early summer meal.
Nina
Needed lots of extra lemon garlic salt and Kalamata olives
jay
Base dressing is simple and delish…instead of peppers I dice up tomatoes and some celery Good stuff!
StilettosintheKitchen
Delightful, Adaptable, Chameleon-like Recipe: Enjoyed reading suggestions. My additions to the main recipe were thinly sliced radishes, halved Cherry Tomatoes, Grated Feta and Dill fronds. I used white quinoa, but as I look more closely at the photo, it appears there might be red quinoa also.
jojo
Great, simple recipe to which one might add any number of ingredients one might find in the fridge or pantry (radishes, mint, cilantro or any of the previously suggested veg, for instance).
Amy Christine
Very adaptable recipe. Added chopped smoke almonds, very thinly sliced baby zucchini and finely minced shallot. Delicious!
Leenie Loo
Delicious! I added chopped mint as well.
Cathy L
Added 1/4 finely diced red onion and 1/3 of an English cucumber because I couldn't find Persian cucumbers. Sprinkled with pepitas for serving. Next time I might try adding some fresh mint and feta. This was a wonderful refreshing salad. I'm adding to my summer rotation.
rebecca
This needed more lemon juice and garlic. Good for my gluten free grandson. Next time I will also add feta.
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