Salads
Quinoa salad with vegetables and feta
This quinoa salad is light yet properly filling, enough for a lunch on its own. Quinoa brings complete plant protein and fibre, and with crisp vegetables, fresh herbs and salty feta it becomes a bright Mediterranean-style salad. The main thing is to cook the grain properly: rinse it to remove bitterness, simmer it in twice its volume of water, then let it cool so the grains stay separate. The dressing is simply lemon juice and olive oil. It keeps its flavour for several hours, so it's ideal to take to work in a lunchbox.
Method
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Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve under running water for 1-2 minutes, rubbing the grains. This removes the bitter coating.
Put the quinoa in a pan with 360 ml of water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and spread on a plate to cool quickly.
Dice the cucumber and pepper into 1 cm pieces, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the red onion very thinly.
Finely chop the parsley and mint. Cube or crumble the feta.
For the dressing, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, a pinch of salt and some pepper.
Combine the cooled quinoa, vegetables and herbs, pour over the dressing and toss. Top with the feta.
Tips for success
- Let the quinoa cool completely, or it will wilt the vegetables.
- If the red onion is very sharp, soak it in cold water for 5 minutes.
- For lunchboxes, keep the dressing separate and add it just before eating.
- Add a handful of chickpeas or sliced chicken breast to make it even more filling.
Serving and storage
Serve as a main course for lunch or as a side with baked fish or chicken. Sprinkle with seeds or sesame if you like.
Once dressed, keep in the fridge for up to 1 day. Plain cooked quinoa keeps for 4 days, so it's easy to make ahead.
Variations
- With avocado: replace the feta with one ripe avocado, diced.
- Warm: add roasted pumpkin cubes and baby spinach.
- With chicken: top with 200 g of sliced baked chicken breast.
Calories and macros
Per serving (about 343 g):
Per 100 g: 103 kcal, P 3.6, F 4.9, C 11.5. An estimate based on average ingredient values. Your daily calories ›
