Refreshing Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Fresh and flavorful Mediterranean quinoa salad packed with juicy peppers and cucumbers, chickpeas, fluffy quinoa and more. This easy salad makes the perfect lunch or side dish!

Not your Average Salad

This is not your average salad. It's packed with tons of fiber, healthy fats, and plant-based protein so it’s great for lunch or a snack! This healthy quinoa salad is the perfect refreshing salad with juicy cucumbers, crunchy red peppers, creamy vegan mozzarella, fresh curly parsley, and of course extra fluffy quinoa.

I could live anywhere in the world, it would be somewhere along the Mediterranean. I will NEVER get sick of their food. It's filled with the freshest ingredients, always refreshing, and don’t even get me started on the hummus ????.

The Cheeses

This recipe uses a plant-based mozzarella cheese that has simply rocked my world. It’s still silky smooth and creamy but without all the dairy. I personally am not lactose intolerant but find that I feel my best with I keep the dairy consumption low. However, if you’re lucky enough to not be dairy-free, feta or mozzarella would be killer in this salad!

I’m all about things you can make in big batches so you have something ready to eat just sitting in your fridge when those tricky situations arise (hellooo meal prep). This recipe is super easy and quick to toss together and is endlessly flavorful.

Refreshing Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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• Author: Ansley Beutler
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 Servings 1x

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Description

The most refreshing quinoa salad filed with the freshest ingredients.  Cucumbers, red bell peppers, red onion, fresh parsley, plant-based mozzarella, and extra fluffy quinoa!  It’s perfect for a quick lunch, snack, or on-the-go meal.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup quinoa (dry)
• 3 cups water
• 1 13oz bag chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 large red bell pepper
• ¼ red onion
• ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
• ¼ cup parsley (loosely packed)
• ⅓ cup vegan mozzarella cheese (I used Miyokos brand)*
• 1 Tbsp + ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp sea salt

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Instructions

 

1. Heat 3 cups water over high heat until it begins to bowl
2. Add quinoa to pot, reduce to a simmer, and put lid on top - continue to cook for 12-15 minutes until fluffy
3. While quinoa is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet love low heat and wash and drain chickpeas
4. Add chickpeas to skillet and cook in olive oil for ~5 mins until golden
5. Chop cucumber, red bell pepper, and onion into small pieces
6. In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, sauteed chickpeas and the remaining ingredients to bowl, stir to coat thoroughly

Notes

*Note : If not dairy-free, use feta or regular mozzarella

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 15
• Category: Salad
• Method: Stove-top
• Cuisine: Greek

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ⅔ cup
• Calories: 232
• Fat: 12
• Carbohydrates: 27
• Protein: 6

Keywords: Quinoa Salad, Mediterranean Salad, Healthy Quinoa Salad, Dairy-free Salad, Vegan Salad