Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups water
1 English cucumber
1 red bell pepper
14 ounce can chickpeas, drained
8 ounces cubed feta cheese
½ cup Kalamata olives
6 ounces grape tomatoes
Lemon vinaigrette
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Steps
Cook 1 ½ cups of quinoa according to the packaging directions
I cooked my quinoa in a rice cooker with 3 cups of water for 20 to 25 minutes
You can also cook your quinoa on the stove
While the quinoa is cooking, cut 1 English cucumber into quartered spears and then cut each spear into a half inch size piece
Cut 1 red bell pepper into half inch size pieces
Slice a ½ cup of Kalamata olives in half
Slice 6 ounces of grape tomatoes in half
To make the lemon vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and then whisk until combined
Once the quinoa has finished cooking, transfer it to a large bowl
Add the sliced cucumber, red bell pepper, drained chickpeas, Kalamata olives, and sliced tomatoes to the quinoa
Stir to combine the quinoa with all the vegetables
Add in the cubed feta cheese and stir to combine with the quinoa again
Pour over the prepared vinaigrette and stir to incorporate
Serve the Mediterranean quinoa salad at room temperature