A healthy and delicious salad packed with Mediterranean flavors!
- Carbohydrate 145.7634 g
- Cholesterol 44.5 mg
- Fat 24.2368 g
- Fiber 15.68 g
- Protein 38.7338 g
- Saturated Fat 9.05443999999999 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (274g)
- Sodium 724.232 mg
- Sugar 130.0834 g
- Trans Fat 1.58816 g
- Calories 956 calories
Step-by-step
- Rinse quinoa for about 2 minutes, using your hands to make sure all the saponins are removed.
- Fill a medium pot with water, add quinoa and salt to taste and bring to a boil. When the water boils, reduce heat to low and cover; simmer covered 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered an additional 5 minutes without lifting the lid; then fluff with a fork and set aside in a large mixing bowl to cool.
- While the quinoa cools, dice all the vegetables. Add the red onion, olives, cucumber, tomatoes to the cooled quinoa, and squeeze 1/2 lemon over it.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the quinoa, then add feta, salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Taste for salt and adjust as needed, add more lemon juice if needed.
- Makes over 6 1/4 cups.
Quinoa provides the structural foundation for this dish, acting as a neutral, high-protein starch that absorbs dressings while maintaining a distinct toothsome bite. Rinsing the raw grain vigorously for two full minutes removes bitter-tasting saponins coating the seed hull before it hits the pot. Cooking requires a strict 2-to-1 liquid ratio by volume, simmering on low for exactly 15 minutes followed by a five-minute steam off the heat source. Skipping the rest period traps excess surface moisture, leading to a gluey grain bed that weighs down crisp mix-ins.
Scaling and Swapping Principles
Doubling grain salads requires careful management of surface area and salt ratios. Doubling the base amount of quinoa demands a wider mixing vessel, such as a 6-quart bowl, to prevent crushing delicate cherry tomatoes during the final toss. When substituting ingredients, moisture content dictates structural integrity. Replacing watery English cucumbers with dense roasted bell peppers prevents the salad from pooling liquid at the bottom of the container during storage. Swapping out briny kalamata olives for capers requires cutting the added salt in half to prevent mineral overload, because cured capers carry significantly higher sodium concentrations by weight.
- Store dressed grain salads for a maximum of 3 days in an airtight glass container at 38°F.
- Add fresh lemon juice in 1-teaspoon increments if the acidity dulls after refrigeration.
- Drain watery vegetables on paper towels for 10 minutes prior to dicing to preserve shelf life.
