Mediterranean Quinoa Vegetable Salad
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.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 ½ cups Quinoa
- 3 cups water for cooking the quinoa
- 1 cup peas
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¾ cup cup black or Kalamata olives chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped, or ½ red and ½ orange (save a section for the top)
- ½ cucumber sliced thinly
- 1 small head broccoli top cut into florets and steamed to fork-tenderness, stem peeled and chopped to stir into salad
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste see note
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Fresh dill minced, and sprigs for garnish
Lemon Vinaigrette dressing
- ⅓ cup good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 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.