To create the ideal Greek quinoa salad, we’d recommend building your flavors around the quinoa as the base. Introducing sweetness with the tomatoes, creaminess with the feta, and brine with the olives creates a balanced flavor profile for your final dish. For more tips and tricks on how to build the best salad, explore our guide which covers the ultimate way to curate a tasty, refreshing plate.
For optimal results, it’s better to cook the quinoa beforehand and leave it to cool. If you can, cook it at least an hour ahead. If you toss the quinoa into the salad while it’s still warm, you may find it wilts your greens and fresh herbs, losing a little of the crunchy texture. You can also try mixing in other ancient grains with your quinoa to add different textures and flavors. Choosing a grain, such as buckwheat, will bring a nuttier flavor to your salad. And if you have any leftover quinoa, you can find more inspiration in the guide to ancient grains on how to make the most of this ingredient in other Mediterranean dishes including tabbouleh.
How to Serve It
This salad can be enjoyed fresh as it is as per the recipe above. However, you can take inspiration from other Greek cuisine for side dishes. Plate it alongside a helping of fried honey halloumi, for a sweet pairing. Or you could enjoy this fresh salad with a traditional dish of lamb kebabs with pita bread and yogurt. Some chefs will also finish this dish off with a sprinkling of red chili flakes for a spicy kick, or garnish it with other Mediterranean-inspired ingredients such as toasted pine nuts or chickpeas.
We’ve suggested an elegant Italian dressing to finish this salad, but you could keep it simple with a dash of olive oil or lemon-infused olive oil, to bring out the bright and fresh flavors.
Make-Ahead Tips
In this recipe, you can save time by cooking the quinoa and roasting the tomatoes beforehand. Both the quinoa and tomatoes will keep for up to three days in the fridge in an airtight container, so you can make these elements in the days before and simply remove from the fridge when ready to enjoy a cold Greek quinoa salad. As mentioned above, if you mix warm and cold ingredients together for a salad, it can wilt the greens. You’ll get better results making sure the warm ingredients have fully cooled before adding to the salad.
It’s advisable, however, to prepare the rest of the ingredients fresh. For example, with the feta cheese, you’ll get the best taste, crumbling the feta fresh when you’re ready to make this dish.
