A platter of greek quinoa salad with a pitcher of dressing pouring over it.

Perfect for summer cookouts and easy dinners, this Greek Quinoa Salad is filling, healthy, and full of savory Greek flavors.

This recipe was originally published on June 9, 2020. It was updated on May 12, 2021.

A savory, herby, and crunchy salad, this Greek Quinoa Salad is the perfect easy recipe for warm summer months. Bring it to your next barbecue or cookout or make it for meal prep this week!

A side shot of a platter of Greek quinoa salad with a large serving spoon in the salad. Behind the platter sits a pitcher of dressing and the corner of a pepper mill.

Anyone else super surprised that it's already MAY?!

I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, given what a time vortex this last year or so has felt like. I mean, how has time gone both slowly and quickly at the same time?!

But, given my shock, and the weather that's suddenly sunny and warm, I've decided it's finally time to slow my roll on the baking, allow my kitchen to cool off and get together some good summer barbecue and cookout recipes!

And what's better for summer barbecues than a fresh and veggie-filled versatile salad (Ok, ok, aside from some freshly smoked or grilled meat or fish, that is 😉 the whole family will love?

A pinterst pin for Greek Quinoa Salad. A large bowl of the salad sits in the center of the bowl with a large stainless steel serving spoon in it.

Because this salad is easy to make (it only takes a few basic steps), transports easily, and goes with so many sides (smoked meats or fish, anyone?).

You also can pack the leftovers of this salad for lunch the next day, or just enjoy at home -- 'cause, well, some of us still need to make the best of working from home, right?

And even if no small barbecues are on your schedule, who says this large vegetarian salad can't make a delicious light summer dinner? After all, it doesn't heat up the whole kitchen and you can top it with some grilled chicken or fish or stir in some garbanzo beans or lentils for more staying power.

Either way, let's treat ourselves for making it to summer this year. And celebrate in all the meaningful ways -- big and small, especially with some good food. 💗

A large piece of feta cheese on a small plate with olive oil on top. Behind the plate sits 2 olives

Perfect for summer cookouts and easy dinners, this Greek Quinoa Salad is filling, healthy, and full of savory Greek flavors.

This Greek Quinoa Salad is...

Savory
Briny
Crunchy
Refreshing
Versatile
Delicious

Nutritious and delicious need not be mutually exclusive! This light salad is chockfull of good-for-you goodies while boasting the flavor you crave!

A large white platter of Greek Quinoa salad without dressing.

Quinoa Greek salad ingredients:

Quinoa
Garlic
Red wine vinegar
Lemon juice & zest - fresh juice is best but bottled also works
Dried oregano & dill
Red onion
Olive oil
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Feta cheese - purchase pre-crumbled cheese or a large chunk and crumble it yourself
Pitted kalamata olives

An upclose shot of the olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and feta over quinoa

Recipe substitutions:

Fresh dill and oregano - just substitute 1 ½ teaspoons fresh chopped dill and 2 ¼ teaspoons fresh oregano for the dried herbs
Dijon mustard - this is listed as an optional ingredient in this recipe, as it isn't a typical Greek ingredient. It does add great depth to the dressing, however, so add it if you please but don't stress if you don't have it on hand.
Tomatoes - diced Roma plum or sandwich tomatoes can substitute for the halved baby tomatoes
Quinoa - steamed rice, couscous, Israeli couscous, and orzo can all work in place of the quinoa in this recipe
Vinegar & lemon juice - if you don't have both the vinegar and the lemon juice, you can substitute all of one or the other

A large white bowl of greek quinoa salad with a large stainless steel serving spoon in it. In the background are lemon halves and a blue towel.

How do you make this quinoa salad recipe:

Rinse the quinoa and cook it according to the package directions. Cool the quinoa until at least at room temperature.
Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together until combined.
Place the quinoa, veggies, olives, and feta on a large serving platter or in a large serving bowl.
Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad and toss the salad until all the vegetables are evenly mixed in.
Chill the quinoa salad until serving or serve right away. Enjoy!

The Greek salad dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Greek salad dressing in a large mixing bowl with a whisk

Recipe pro-tips:

Dice the veggies uniformly - this helps all the flavors to evenly distribute through the salad and makes it easier to eat
Use decent quality extra virgin olive oil - it will add the purest flavor to the salad. Greek olive oil works well but isn't mandatory.

Cold quinoa salad FAQs:

How do you get rid of quinoa's soapy flavor?

To get rid of quinoa's soapy flavor, just rinse it before cooking it. I recommend adding it to a mesh strainer and running cool water over it for 15-30 seconds, or until all of the quinoa has been rinsed.

How do you cook fluffy quinoa?

Cooking quinoa like pasta will create the fluffiest quinoa. Just add your rinsed quinoa to a large saucepan of simmering salted water and cook for 14-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Then drain the cooked quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and continue on with the recipe as directed.

How do you quickly cool cooked quinoa?

Cool the cooked quinoa quickly by spreading it out on a large dinner plate and placing it in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.

Do you serve this quinoa salad warm or cold?

You can serve this salad either way, so do so however you prefer!
Serving the salad warm makes it seem a bit heartier and more filling whereas serving it cool is more refreshing and cooling. See my recipe notes for how to prepare it both warm and cold.

A large spoonful of greek quinoa salad with the rest of the quinoa salad blurred in the background

Dietary preferences adaptations:

Gluten-free - this recipe is naturally gluten-free
Vegetarian - this recipe is vegetarian as-is
Vegan - omit the feta cheese to make this recipe entirely plant-based
Dairy-free - similarly, omitting the feta in this recipe will make it dairy-free

Additional quinoa salad recipe mix-ins:

Change up the flavor or add extra staying power to this salad by mixing in any of the following ingredients:

Chickpeas
Navy beans
Grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp
Minced red onion
Sundried tomatoes
Green onions
Avocado
Spinach or baby leafy greens

An overhead shot of a large mixing bowl of Greek quinoa salad — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Quinoa salad serving suggestions:

Serve this salad as-is for a light lunch or refreshing summer dinner. Make it a more filling meal with any of the following side dishes or toppings:

Pita chips
Warm pita or crusty bread
Grilled Chicken
Grilled Salmon
Shrimp kebabs

I also love serving this salad over baby kale or spring greens to add some extra nutrition and flavor!

This salad is also delicious served with a nice glass of Chenin blanc, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or light lager beer.

An up-close overhead shot of chopped sweet peppers, cucumber, halved cheers, and feta chese

Meal prep ideas:

Serve this recipe for meal prep throughout the week. Serve it..

In a wrap
On spring greens
With fruit slices and whole wheat crackers
With grilled or roasted protein (chicken, shrimp, salmon, steak, etc.)
With roasted veggies

Storage directions:

Refrigeration: quinoa salad leftovers last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing quinoa salad.

A side shot of a platter of Greek quinoa salad with a pitcher of salad dressing behind it and a pepper mill on the back right of the platter.

More summer salad recipes:

Grilling recipes to serve with this quinoa salad:

Tools needed to make this recipe:

Medium-sized saucepan
Medium-size mixing bowl
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Citrus juicer
Lemon zester or Microplane
Cutting board
Chef knife (this knife is amazing for the super affordable price!)
Rubber or silicone spatula

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8 side dish servings

Greek Quinoa Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Quinoa Cooling Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Perfect for summer cookouts and easy dinners, this Greek Quinoa Salad is filling, healthy, and full of savory Greek flavors.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions*

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup minced red onion
½ cup olive oil

Salad

1 ½ cups chopped cucumber***
1 ½ cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1 large (or 2 halves) sweet yellow and/or red pepper, diced into ½" pieces
¾ cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until combined.
In a large serving bowl or mixing platter, combined the cooled quinoa, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, sweet pepper, olives, and feta cheese.
Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad. Lightly toss the salad until combined.
Refrigerate the salad covered for 1-2 hours before serving or serve right away. Enjoy!

Notes

1.* Or, cook your rinsed quinoa in a large saucepan of salted water, just like you would pasta, for 14-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer.

To quickly cool your quinoa pour it out on a large dinner plate and spread it out evenly. Then place in the fridge for 10-20 minutes, or until it's at least room temperature, and your quinoa is ready to go!

2. You can also substitute in a bottled Greek Salad dressing.

3. To serve your quinoa salad warm, just skip the quinoa cooling step.

4. This salad lasts covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It does not freeze well.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 245Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 13mgSodium 445mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 4g

This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

Greek Quinoa Salad

Perfect for summer cookouts and easy dinners, this Greek Quinoa Salad is filling, healthy, and full of savory Greek flavors.

This recipe was originally published on June 9, 2020. It was updated on May 12, 2021.