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Mediterranean quinoa salad

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Quinoa
  • 1 Can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 English cucumber
  • 1 Red pepper
  • 2 Green pepper chopped i
  • 1/2 Red onion medium sized
  • 2 Handfuls Arugula optional
  • 4 Tbsp Fresh parsley or parsley and dill, chopped finely
  • 2 Tbsp Feta or Goat cheese crumbled
  • 1 Lemon not a lime
  • Salt to taste
  • Crushed black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Tsp Za’atar seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp Preserved lemon finely chopped, Optional

Instructions

  • Cook the quinoa in a rice cooker, or on the stove top as per package instructions.
  • Spread the cooked quinoa in a wide salad bowl to cool.
  • Meanwhile, chop the cucumber, red pepper, green pepper, and onion into small bite sized pieces, about 1/2” thick. Just make sure all the veggies are the same size.
  • Once the quinoa has cooled to room temperature, lightly fluff it up with a fork.
  • Add the chopped veggies, preserved lemon (if using), chickpeas, and Za’atar to the quinoa and mix together.
  • Next, add the juice of half a lemon, salt, crushed black pepper, and the chopped herbs (reserve some herbs for garnish) and toss together.
  • Add the arugula and cheese and mix gently, reserving some cheese for garnish.
  • Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning and acidity.
  • Chill for half an hour before serving garnished with the remaining cheese and herbs.

Notes

  • You can use any mix of peppers, though I like to make sure there are at least two colors of pepper for a vibrant salad.
  • You can switch out the garbanzo beans for fresh cooked corn kernels, or any other combination of cooked beans.
  • The salad tastes extra refreshing, chilled for a few hours or overnight. But, in that case, add the arugula and cheese before serving, or you will have a lot of cheesy liquid at the bottom of the bowl and soggy lettuce.