This Greek Salad with Quinoa combines all your favorite Greek ingredients: cucumbers, feta, and olives into a hearty vegetarian salad perfect for a picnic.
Perfect For Summer: Greek Salad with Quinoa
I love a good make-ahead salad, and this one is no exception. Packed with grains and vegetables, it’s lovely on a hot day straight from your cooler. Use the best whole-block feta you can find.
This recipe dates back to the earrrrrrrly days of KERF! I created it to take on a picnic and have been making versions of it ever since! Grain salads are my favorites for picnics because you can eat them with a fork and get all your nutrition in one bite.
Greek Salad Ingredients
I love Greek ingredients! The ingredients are very flexible here, and you can mix and match with what you have on hand.
Feta
I prefer a whole block of feta crumbled myself, but you can use pre-crumbled if you want.
Olives
Kalamata are my favorites but again use whatever you want!
Cucumber
English cucumbers are more delicate and have fewer seeds. If you use a regular one, be sure to peel it.
Summer Vegetables
Zucchini, peppers – whatever you like! Chopped spinach, cherry tomatoes, or eggplant would be great too!
Dressing
A simple lemon & olive oil dressing and lots of cracked pepper ties it all together. Sprinkle on fresh parsley if you have it or add some crushed red pepper flakes for heat.
The Grains: Quinoa or Millet or Both!
The original featured 100% millet, which is one of my favorite grains. The grain base this time was a mix of quinoa, millet, and buckwheat I found at Whole Foods! You could use any grain/seed combo that you like aiming for 1 cup dry.
I included quinoa in the title because it seems to be one of the more popular pantry staples around!
How To Make The Salad
1) Prepare grains
Follow directions on the package or use a rice cooker or Instant Pot.
2 ) Dice your veggies
3) Cook vegetables
Cook zucchini and pepper in a little olive oil over medium high heat until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4) Crumble feta and chop olives
5) Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl
Be sure to drain and rinse chickpeas first! Excluding the dressing ingredients.
6) Whisk dressing
Whisk together olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper and pour over salad. Toss thoroughly.
7) Serve or store chilled
Store chilled in the fridge. If you aren’t going to enjoy immediately, you may want to add additional dressing upon serving since the grains will soak it up!
Greek Salad with Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa, millet, or grain mix
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 bell pepper
- 6 inches of English cucumber
- 1/3 cup kalamata pitted
- 1 can garbanzo beans drained
- 1 block feta cheese about 4 ounces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Cook grains according to the package.
- Cook zucchini and pepper in 1 tsp olive oil in a medium high skillet until tender.
- Add cucumber, olives and garbanzos to grains.
- Crumble on the feta cheese.
- Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss into salad.
- Served chilled at a summer picnic!
Here’s me enjoying the first version of this salad while pregnant with Mazen!!
-br says
what type of saute pan is that? is that a pan you previously reviewed? any updates?
Kath Younger says
Yes it’s the Always Pan and I am a huge fan!! They also just revealed a new POT too!
Louise RD says
Had pretty much all of the ingredients, so I made this for lunch and WOW, is it good! I also threw in some chopped baby spinach (uncooked) and it was great. Thank you!!
Kath Younger says
Awesome!!
Cooked Up says
Thanks for detailing these food salad. This list will surely help us in keeping us healthy.