Cucumber, olives, lemon, and tomato bring this Mediterranean-inspired quinoa salad to life. Rich in plant-based protein and fiber, it fuels you through a busy afternoon.
12 ingredients
10 olives Olives kalamata pitted
1 cup cherry tomatoes Tomatoes cherry raw
1/4 cup, chopped Onions red raw
2 cup, pared, chopped Cucumber peeled raw
2 tablespoon Olive or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon yields Lemon juice raw
1/2 cup Pumpkin seed kernels (shelled) roasted without salt
1/4 cup Parsley fresh or raw herb
6 steps
- If not pre-rinsed, place uncooked quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly and drain.
- Place quinoa in a medium pot with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce heat to low. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- While quinoa is cooking, slice the Kalamata olives and quarter the cherry tomatoes.
- Remove quinoa from heat. Keep covered for an additional 5 minutes, and then fluff quinoa with fork. Set aside and let the quinoa cool.
- Once quinoa is cool, place in a large serving bowl. Add the olives, cherry tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss to mix.
- Divide quinoa salad into 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with pumpkin seeds and chopped parsley. Enjoy immediately or serve cold.
Each serving is about 1 1/2 cups.
Tips:
This quinoa salad packs protein and fiber for a healthy weekday lunch option. Feel free to jazz it up with even more vegetable options like bell peppers or spinach.
If you can find it, vegan feta cheese would be a nice addition to this salad.