Gluten Free Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This gluten-free Mediterranean Quinoa salad recipe is so easy to make and is bursting with bright and fresh flavours. Made with quinoa, lots of veggies and crumbled cheese on top, this salad makes a great lunch or healthy dinner side dish any night of the week. 

Hello, there lunch/dinner/big bowl of anytime deliciousness.

Hello there Mediterranean Quinoa Salad that has all the gluten-free and vegan-possible qualities we’ve come to expect and crazy bright and fresh and full of flavour taste we dream of. 

Friends, I bring to you today this week’s lunchtime obsession – fluffy white quinoa dressed in a herby-savoury-balsamic dressing and mixed with veggies like peppers and cucumbers, olives and onions and all topped with cheese for a super satisfying, yet healthy salad perfect for lunch or dinner. 

It’s been too long since I shared a new quinoa salad recipe! 

If you’ve been reading the blog for any amount of time, you know that quinoa is pretty much my soul sister. There isn’t a week (let alone a 2-day span) that goes by that a pot of quinoa isn’t cooking up on my stove. And my favourite way to enjoy this protein-packed, nutty-tasting grain (alright, seed…) is quinoa salad.

I love a good quinoa salad and this Mediterranean version is no exception. 

MORE ABOUT THIS MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD RECIPE…

I love the variety of textures and flavours in the salad. It has a little bit of everything in each bite. 

The mixture of veggies here is classic to the ones found in a Greek salad – cucumbers, peppers, olives, onions, and fresh herbs. (You can even add in some chickpeas if you want as well). The last time I made this salad I added roasted red peppers instead of raw peppers and it was a total game changer! Roasted reds are so tender and sweet and gave this salad even more texture and sweet flavour. If you have them on hand already, DO IT! 

And that dressing! It took me a couple times to get right, but it is officially one of my favourites. And all the dried pantry spices, really spice up this dressing up (pun definitely intended). But the real secret ingredient here is the nutritional yeast. Trust me. It gives this salad a super savoury thing that you just can’t beat.  

And then topped with cheese, please. A Mediterranean salad just isn’t the same without salty cheese crumbles on top. I like to use feta or goat cheese for a creamy-salty-totally delicious topping.   

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Gluten Free Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2-4 1x

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Description

This gluten free Mediterranean Quinoa salad recipe is so easy to make and bursting with bright and fresh flavours. Made with quinoa, lots of veggies and crumbled cheese on top, this salad makes a great lunch or healthy dinner side dish any night of the week.

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Ingredients

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For the Salad:

• 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (from about 3/4 cup of uncooked quinoa)
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped*
• 1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 cup Kalamata or black olives, pits removed and chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (omit if vegan)

For the Dressing:

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1–2 teaspoons honey, (adjust to taste or omit if vegan)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional but recommended)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add cooked quinoa, peppers, cucumbers, olives, red onion and parsley. Stir to combine.
2. In a mason jar with a tight fitting lid, or use a small bowl and a whisk, make the dressing. Add oil, vinegar and spices and shake or whisk until smooth and combine. Season with additional salt and pepper and add a little more honey, if needed.
3. Poor dressing over quinoa salad and toss to combine until quinoa and veggies are well dressed.
4. Top salad with crumbled feta cheese before serving. Salad tastes best if consumed within 1-2 days of making.

Notes

*Or use roasted red peppers instead to add more flavour and texture to the salad

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes