This Mediterranean Quinoa Vegetable Salad is a delicious celebration of vegetables with tangy flavors of lemon and garlic. An easy potluck dish, it appeals to everyone, regardless of diet, because it is beautiful, flavorful, gluten-free and vegan.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword baba ghanoush dressing, easy quinoa salad, Mediterranean quinoa, potluck dish, side dish, vegan, vegetable salad, vinaigrette
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Author Beth of A Meal In Mind
Ingredients
For the salad
1 ½cupsQuinoa
3cupswaterfor cooking the quinoa
1cuppeas
½cupred onionthinly sliced
¾cupcup black or Kalamata oliveschopped
1red bell pepperchopped, or ½ red and ½ orange (save a section for the top)
½cucumbersliced thinly
1small head broccolitop cut into florets and steamed to fork-tenderness, stem peeled and chopped to stir into salad
Rinse quinoa and drain thoroughly, unless your quinoa says that no rinsing is needed.
In a saucepan with a cover, bring the 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered until all water is absorbed.
Allow quinoa to cool to room temperature.
For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette. Stir into quinoa and mix well. Stir the chopped vegetables into the quinoa: olives, broccoli stem, bell peppers, onions, peas and minced dill. Stir again and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Arrange the sliced vegetables on top of the quinoa, garnish and serve! Keeps refrigerated for about 3 days, after which the salad can get a little soggy.
Notes
We are eating very low salt these days. Be sure to taste in case you prefer a saltier salad.