Mediterranean quinoa salad is the perfect easy side dish or salad recipe. Perfect for on the go, lunches, or to be the star of the BBQ or picnic. An allergy friendly, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and top 9 free Greek quinoa salad.
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The Quick Lowdown:
Speed: If the quinoa is cooked and cooled ahead it is a super fast recipe ready in under 20 minutes.
Difficulty: Beginner level. Boiling quinoa and chopping vegetables are the toughest steps.
Return for effort: Super easy low effort Mediterranean quinoa salad that can be a side dish or lunch.
Meal Prep: Cook the quinoa ahead and make the Greek quinoa salad leaving the dressing on the side until serving for a great prep ahead recipe.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love adding quinoa to salads to pump up the protein in our dinners and lunches. This Mediterranean quinoa salad is an easy side dish recipe. It is one of my favourite pot luck recipes for any season, but especially summer picnics and barbecues.
This salad is loosely inspired by the Costco quinoa salad they sell in the ready made food aisle. The Greek quinoa salad travels really well so it is often a salad we bring on road trips or for lunch to work. I could eat this salad for lunch every day!
Ingredients
Salad
- Roma Tomatoes
- English Cucumber
- Sweet Bell Pepper
- Shallot, or Red Onion
- Black Olives
- Cooked Quinoa
Dressing
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Nutritional Yeast
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Mustard or Substitute
- Sea Salt & Ground Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down
Roma Tomatoes, Sweet Bell Pepper
Romas work well in this Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe as they have a lower water content than other tomatoes. If you are going to make this in advance, removing the seeds will help to keep it fresh a bit longer.
Sweet bell peppers, or capcicum are the best peppers for this recipe. You can use any color you like, we like to use orange or yellow to make a pretty looking salad. Green peppers can be used for colour and because they are usually cheaper than red, orange, or yellow peppers in our area.
English Cucumber
The long English cucumbers are perfect for this recipe. They have thin skins that do not need to be removed and small seeds that can stay in the Mediterranean quinoa salad. Lebanese cucumbers, or snack sized cucumbers are also great in this recipe. We do not recommend using field cucumbers. If you do use that variety, peel it and scoop out the seeds before cutting it up.
Garlic, Shallot, or Red Onions
Nothing beats fresh garlic and onions in this recipe. Don't substitute any of them for dried or powdered versions of onions and garlic.
We like to use shallots when we make this Mediterranean quinoa salad. You can use red onions instead. Be aware though that red onions are much more pungent than shallots so you will not want to use more than the amounts in the recipe, you could even reduce them slightly. Red onions tend to be cheaper than shallots.
We found with our kids that shallots were much easier to put in salads and dressings as the kids would pick out the red onions or find the red onions too onion flavoured. If you want a mild fresh onion flavour but you have kids try a bit of shallot instead.
Black Olives
We use a can of black olives in our Mediterranean quinoa salad. They can be purchased already pitted and sliced to save you time and effort. If you like green olives you can replace half the black olives with pitted and sliced green olives. If you like a tangy flavoured olive opt for kalamata olives or another kind, just make sure to remove the pits before adding them to the salad. Steer clear of the filled olives as the filling will just fall out and some fillings are made with nuts, dairy or other top 9 food allergens.
Cooked Quinoa
Precook the quinoa and cool it using best food safety practices. We have used white quinoa, black quinoa, or tri coloured quinoa at various times to make this recipe and all work well. When making the quinoa one dry cup of quinoa simmered (covered) in 2 cups of liquid for 15 minutes. Let it sit away from the heat after the liquid has been absorbed for 5 minutes and fluff it with a fork to make 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
Olive Oil
If olive oil is safe for you it is our preferred oil for the Mediterranean quinoa salad dressing. A good quality extra virgin olive oil mild in flavour is best. You can swap the olive oil out for another safe neutral oil, if needed. Steer clear of anything made from one of the top 9 food allergens, such as peanut, soy, or sesame. Skip the strongly flavoured oils, like pumpkin seed, coconut oil, or some avocado oils.
Red Wine Vinegar
Red wine vinegar is more traditional in Greek salad dressing and gives the dressing that tart and tang. The vinegar is made from red wine. Some wines can be made with dairy, fish, or egg white derivatives and then filtered out to remove impurities.
There are some with dairy, fish, and/or egg allergies who avoid wines that use casein, isinglass, or albumin in the fining process in case the proteins aren't all removed from the wine. We use red wine vinegar made with vegan wine as they do not use any of those ingredients in the clarification process.
Other vinegars can be used in place, such as white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice wine or others. Do not use malt vinegar as it is not gluten free.
Lemon Juice
Fresh squeezed or contracted from a bottle are both fine to use, as long as they are free from your food allergens.
Nutritional Yeast
This is one of those ingredients that many people don't use but should. It is a way to add a touch of cheesy umami flavour without any dairy. Nutritional yeast comes in flakes or powder. We like to use the powder version as it incorporates better in salad dressings. It is usually gluten free soy, dairy free, and more. It is always a good idea to double check with the manufacturer and ingredient label just in case of cross contact or added ingredients.
Dried Oregano and Basil
We like to use dried oregano and basil but you can swap them out for fresh herbs. If you do use three times the amount of fresh basil and oregano than the dried versions the recipe calls for. Check any dried herbs for cross contact with the manufacturer.
Mustard or Substitute
Plain yellow mustard is what we use in the dressing ever since our child passed their mustard challenge with their allergist. If you cannot have mustard we have a great mustard substitute that works in this dressing and many other recipes. Find the three ingredient recipe here.
Cooking Instructions
Assemble the Salad
In a large bowl combine all the Mediterranean quinoa salad ingredients. Stir well with a large spoon to mix. Set aside while making the dressing.
Make the Dressing
In a small bowl combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk to emulsify the dressing. Drizzle the dressing on the salad from the first step. For the best flavour add the dressing up to 30 minutes before serving.
Chill and Serve
Cover and chill in the refrigerator until just before serving. Stir before serving.
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Substitutions, Variations, & Adaptations
- Lettuce or Kale - Add a head of chopped romaine lettuce or 2 cups baby kale for more greens.
- Protein Packed - Chop up a chicken breast or two and toss it into the Mediterranean quinoa salad.
- Vegan - this Greek Quinoa Salad recipe is vegan but to add vegan protein add ½ a cup of drained canned chickpeas.
- Kid Friendly - Omit the shallots or switch to the green part of a scallion/green onion.
- Dairy Free Feta - Add cubed or crumbled dairy free feta or brined chickpea tofu (not soy) for a bit of feta-like taste.
Storage Instructions
Fridge
The Mediterranean quinoa salad is best when stored without the dressing on it. The dressing can make the cucumbers soggy if stored for too long together. Use airtight containers to store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge.
If stored with the dressing - the salad will keep for up to 72 hours in the fridge.
If the Greek quinoa salad is stored without the dressing - the dressing will keep for up to 3 days and the salad will keep for up to 3 days.
We do not recommend freezing this salad.
Top Tip
Cook the quinoa the night before so it can get nice and cooled without needing to rush making the Mediterranean quinoa salad the day of.
I often forget or don't have time to make it in advance, because who does?! If you don't cook the quinoa well in advance, let the quinoa cool partially. Then put it in a large zipper sealed storage bag and seal it tightly. Push the quinoa so it is in a thin flat layer. Put the bag under cold running water in a large bowl keeping the seal out of the water. This will cool it quickly.
Every so often, remove the bag from the water, open it to let out any steam. Then mix up the quinoa to find warm spots, reseal, and pop back under the water.
Equipment
- Large Bowl - to mix the Mediterranean quinoa salad and serve it in.
- Small Bowl - for mixing the dressing.
- Mixing Spoon - to mix the salad ingredients together.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons - for measuring the dressing ingredients.
- Whisk - used to mix the dressing.
- Knife and Cutting Board - for cutting up the vegetables, garlic, and the shallots.
FAQ
Yes, Quinoa is gluten free. It is a naturally gluten free grain. Where gluten cross contact could occur is in the growing, harvesting, processing, packaging and cooking of the grain. According to Beyond Celiac, it is important if you have coeliac's disease to get certified gluten free quinoa. Check with the product labels and manufacturer if you have any concerns as to if your quinoa brand has come in contact with gluten and look for the gluten free certification on the label.
What To Pair With
This Mediterranean quinoa salad goes well with just about any main course. We love serving it with grilled chicken or ribs and burgers. Greek Quinoa Salad is also an amazing picnic, BBQ, or summer party side dish. An anytime of year accompanying side this salad works for dinners and lunches and brunches.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Small bowl
- Mixing Spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Whisk
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 Roma Tomatoes diced
- 1 English Cucumber diced
- 1 Sweet Bell Pepper diced
- 1 Shallot or ½ red onion, medium diced
- 14 Ounces Black Olives canned and sliced
- 3 Cups Quinoa, cooked cooled
Dressing
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar (see notes)
- 1½ Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Shallot minced
- 1 teaspoon Nutritional Yeast gluten free
- 1 teaspoon Oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon Mustard (see notes for alternate)
- ½ teaspoon Basil dried
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine all the salad ingredients. Stir well with a large spoon to mix. Set aside while making the dressing.2 Roma Tomatoes, 1 English Cucumber, 1 Sweet Bell Pepper, 1 Shallot, 14 Ounces Black Olives, 3 Cups Quinoa, cooked
- In a small bowl combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk to emulsify the dressing. Drizzle the dressing on the salad from the first step.¼ Cup Olive Oil, 2 Cloves Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar, 1½ Tablespoon Lemon Juice, 1 Tablespoon Shallot, 1 teaspoon Nutritional Yeast, 1 teaspoon Oregano, 1 teaspoon Mustard, ½ teaspoon Basil, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Ground Pepper
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator until just before serving. Stir before serving.
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Notes
Allergy Note 1
Always check that each ingredient is safe for you. Reading all the ingredients and labelling as well as checking with the manufacturer should always be done before buying any product. Each person's allergies are different and only you and your medical team can determine what is best for you. Checking with the manufacturer is best practice to see if shared lines, or facilities are used when making any of the suggested products. Just because a product is right for us does not mean it is safe for anyone else. You must do your own research on each product.
Allergy Note 2
If making this recipe for anyone with an allergy always check with them for suitable products and ingredients. Each person knows their allergies best and can advise on what is safe for them to eat. Keep in mind that if making for another person they may not be able to eat it with shared prep surfaces, cooking equipment, and kitchens or other safety reasons.
Allergy Note 3
This is not medical advice. Always discuss your allergies, nutrition, and suitable products and recipes with your medical team before using.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
"The Allergen Free Kitchen" is not a registered dietician or nutritionist, does not replace a registered dietician or nutritionist and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend you consult with your medical team to find a registered dietician or nutritionist and for you to calculate the nutritional information. Calories and nutritional values can vary vastly depending on which brands were used and any substitutions used.
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Food Safety
- Cool and store foods as per food safety guidelines
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Allergy Resources
If you are struggling with allergies or which foods are safe for you we encourage you to contact your medical team to help determine what is best for you. For additional resources please check out the allergy education and advocacy pages on our food allergy resources page.
LaLiga says
This recipe is incredibly helpful for those with allergies! The detailed ingredient notes and substitution ideas are very reassuring, making it easy to customize the Mediterranean quinoa salad for dietary needs. Great resource!
Katherine Evans says
Thank you! We are so glad you liked it.
-Katherine