You’re not going to believe how good this Greek Quinoa Salad is, or how well it keeps in the fridge for a week. It’s perfect for whenever you need to bring a side to share (family barbecue, church potluck, book club…). But it’s also really easy to throw together and portion out for lunch meal prep.

Closeup of a serving of greek quinoa salad

Tips for Perfect Quinoa

Quinoa is really easy to make, but there are a couple things you can do to really take it up a notch.

Rinse it really well first. You want the water to run clear. Give it a couple of light tosses to shake out the excess water.
Toast the quinoa. You can either dry your quinoa out completely if you have time or go right into the pan. It takes longer to toast wet quinoa, though, so just a heads up. You want to let it go until it smells fragrant and nutty. This actually helps remove the bitter aftertaste that sometimes comes with quinoa.
Salt your water. Add about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt to the quinoa when you pour the water into the pan.
Add the right amount of water. The water to quinoa ratio is 2:1. You’ll see in our recipe we do 16 oz quinoa to 32 oz of water. You can adjust as needed to fit your needs, though.

The Greek Salad Dressing is a Keeper

The quinoa is perfectly cooked, the veggies are garden-fresh and crisp. All that’s left is the dressing. Full of fresh herbs (or dried if that’s what you have on hand), healthy olive oil, and tangy balsamic, this is actually a dressing I make just to keep in the fridge.

Obviously, I am a huge proponent of Ball Jars. So, you could always double the dressing ingredients in a pint jar, and it’ll store in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

But, my favorite kitchen tool for this purpose is my salad dressing shaker. I highly recommend it to anyone who ever makes their own dressings. It makes pouring the dressing out way less messy, and it seals up nicely, too. Plus, it’s super cute!

What’s So Great About Greek Quinoa Salad?

You’ll look down the recipe and see nothing but ordinary ingredients. All this salad does is combine fresh flavors and textures. If you’re a gardener, grab the tomato, cucumber, and herbs right from the garden. You’ll love the sense of accomplishment of turning your bounty into a great meal.

You get all the bright flavors from each fresh ingredient. Because the parts themselves get to shine on their own, every bite is a little different, so you won’t get bored. It is so great all by itself, but it shines just as bright with a good piece of grilled chicken, or even a pouch of tuna.

And I mean, there’s not much about Mediterranean flavors to dislike. Feta? YUM. Kalamata olives? Yes, please. Fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers? Right here!

Okay, so quinoa is from a totally different continent, but compared to couscous, there is so much more nutrition packed into such a little grain. So, who cares, right? As an added bonus, the dressing you’ll make for this recipe works as a marinade for your favorite protein.

Can I Make Greek Quinoa Salad Vegan?

If you need to make this dairy-free or vegan, don’t be afraid to leave out the feta. The one thing I would do, though, is add some chickpeas. Take a can, dump out the liquid, rinse them off, and add them to the bowl.

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a great way to add more fiber and protein to your Greek Quinoa salad to round out the meal. It’s also awesome if you just don’t have feta on hand.

What is your favorite dish to bring to events? Comment below! Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly updates and a sweet freebie!