Mediterranean Quinoa Salad With Lemon Basil Dressing
Servings: 4 servings
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Calories: 494kcal
Healthy, delicious Mediterranean quinoa salad with grilled vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta. Drizzled with zesty and tangy lemon basil dressing, this salad is satiating and full of flavour. Serve right away or make it as part of meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups uncooked quinoa or 3 cups pre-cooked quinoa
- 2.5 cups water
- 2/3 teaspoon salt
For grilled vegetables
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for grilling vegetables
- 1 large zucchini halved lengthways and then sliced
- 1 large red capsicum bell pepper, cut into squares
- 1 red onion sliced
- A little salt to season vegetables
For lemon basil vinaigrette
- 1 cup basil leaves loose
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the rest of the quinoa salad
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes 1 cup halved cherries
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped (I use those in olive oil)
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives or other black olives, sliced
- 1 large clove of garlic finely diced or minced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese about 50-70 grams / 2 oz.
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: Add 1.25 cups of quinoa and 2.5 cups of cold water to a pot, mix in 2/3 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, covered with a lid. Stir halfway.
- Once done, leave the lid on for 10 minutes for the excess liquid to absorb. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool.
- In a large frying pan, heat a splash of olive oil. Pan-fry, grill the zucchini and onions over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.
- Add a little more oil if needed and pan-fry the red capsicum/bell pepper for 2-3 minutes on each side as well. Set aside.
- While quinoa is cooking and vegetables are frying, prepare the other salad ingredients and make the dressing.
- Combine the lemon basil dressing ingredients in a jug or a bowl and puree with an immersion blender or use a food processor/standing blender. If you don't have anything to blend with, simply chop the basil very finely with a knife and mix the dressing by hand.
- Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and some of the dressing to the quinoa and mix through. Top with the grilled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, feta, and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 881mg | Potassium: 997mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1950IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 4mg
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