Greek Quinoa Salad

This Quinoa Greek salad recipe is hearty, healthy, and packed with fresh Mediterranean flavor! Serve it as a side dish, or enjoy it as a meal. The dressing is tangy and to die for! So, dig into this tasty vegan Greek salad!

Although I love salad, sometimes salad gets old, especially the same salad over and over again. In my opinion, it's all about the combination of ingredients and the dressing that makes the perfect quinoa Greek salad recipe.

Jump to:

• Quinoa Greek Salad Ingredients
• Quinoa Greek Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• Why Make Homemade Dressings
• Greek Salad Dressing Ingredients
• Greek Salad Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• Cooking Quinoa
• Assembling the Quinoa Greek Salad
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Vegan Salads to Try!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

As we all know, we need to get our greens—the more nutrient-dense, the better.

So, I try to eat at least one large salad a day, sometimes more. But, regardless of the salad ingredients, the struggle is always the dressing. The dressing makes or breaks a salad, and I love dressing!

Quinoa Greek Salad Ingredients

• Romaine Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is crisp and delicious as a base for the Greek salad.
• Red Quinoa: Red Quinoa is vibrant with a nutty, mild flavor.
• Red Onion: Red onion is sweet and sharp in flavor and perfect for a vegan Greek salad.
• English Cucumber: English cucumbers are less watery than regular cucumber.
• Kalamata Olives: The king of Greek table olives, beloved and popular Kalamatas are deep purple, with tight, snappy, shiny skin and a pretty almond shape. 
• Grape Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are sweet and the perfect size to slice and place in salads. They are less watery than other tomatoes, which helps keep the salad fresh, not soggy.
• Chickpeas: I used canned, drained, and rinsed chickpeas. They add texture as well as protein to the quinoa Greek salad.
• Beets: I buy fresh roasted beets in the produce section at Trader Joe's. It is a great way to get fresh beets without roasting your own.
• Tofu Feta Cheese (optional): I love tofu feta cheese because it adds a creamy, salty flavor to the salad.
• Artichokes: I used canned artichokes in brine rather than oil.
• Mild Banana Peppers (optional): Banana peppers taste sweet and are about five times milder than the average jalapeno. Their flavor sensation is more of a subtle tang.
• Red Cabbage: Purlein color, red cabbage adds another layer of crunch and nutritional value to the salad.

Quinoa Greek Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any green such as spinach, red leaf lettuce, or collard greens.
• Any color of quinoa works well.
• Instead of red onion, consider adding pickled red onions. Or raw yellow or white onions are excellent choices to replace red onions.
• Persian cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers. They contain fewer seeds, thus less watery.
• Some people enjoy black olives instead of kalamata olives, or green olives also work. Or, if you don't like olives, skip them.
• White beans are often used instead of chickpeas.
• If you don't like beets, try sweet potatoes. They are a great replacement for beets and they taste fabulous cold.
• Skip the tofu feta cheese if you avoid soy products. Or buy tofu feta cheese at the store for another option.
• Hearts of palm are often used instead of artichokes.
• Try banana peppers before adding them to the salad for those sensitive to spicy food. I don't think they are spicy, but some people do. If you are a spice lover, however, add jalapenos instead.

Why Make Homemade Dressings

Although buying store-bought dressing is more convenient, making homemade dressing is healthier, and you control the ingredients. And, to be honest, homemade salad dressings taste better.

For instance, typical Greek salad dressing is half oil and half vinegar and seasonings, which defeats eating a salad.

This quinoa Greek salad recipe with vegan Greek salad dressing tastes similar to a traditional Greek salad. Because of the texture of the quinoa, the quinoa absorbs the flavors of the dressing.

Vegan Greek dressing, however, is a game-changer. And, if I don't say so myself, this is the BEST oil-free dressing I have ever made.

Greek Salad Dressing Ingredients

• Hummus: I used oil-free Engine Hummus.
• Lemon Juice: I prefer using fresh lemon juice whenever possible. For more lemon flavor, add lemon zest as well.
• Red Wine Vinegar: Quite sharp and tangy, it has smokier notes and a fuller body than you'll find in white vinegar. It also lends a rosy hue to foods.
• Italian Seasoning: The blend of herbs in Italian seasoning usually consists of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram, with other herbs and spices sometimes appearing.
• Garlic: I prefer using fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
• Water: Water acts as an emulsifier in the absence of oil.

Greek Salad Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Balsamic vinegar is similar to red wine vinegar, with a bolder flavor.
• Herbs de Provence is similar to Italian seasoning.
• Use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of each clove. 
• If you don't have fresh lemon juice, try bottled lemon juice.
• Choose any hummus or flavored hummus for a unique flavor.

Cooking Quinoa

I often cook the quinoa and brown rice on Sundays to use them during the week in recipes I plan.  Today, for instance, I chose to use the red quinoa I prepared for my quinoa Greek salad. 

Quinoa is one of the simplest grains to cook and takes under 15 minutes to prepare.  

In the past, quinoa was coated with a bitter-tasting compound that needed to be washed. Some people, for example, say it tastes soapy.

But, today's quinoa does not require rinsing. As a rule, though, I still rinse my quinoa in a mesh strainer to remove any debris in the bag.

Also, I cook with organic quinoa to avoid any pesticides as well.  

1. First, as mentioned previously, I always rinse my quinoa in a mesh strainer.
2. Then, you want to add the quinoa and COLD water to the pan BEFORE you begin cooking.
3. Add a little salt and stir once the quinoa and cold water are combined in the pan.
4. Next, bring the quinoa and cold water to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to simmer, and cover for 15 minutes. 

Furthermore, adding the quinoa gives the salad texture and absorbs the dressing. Obviously, feta isn't in the salad, yet it tastes like it is with the quinoa. 

However, if you love feta cheese, I make great tofu feta cheese for those who enjoy a little tofu. 

Assembling the Quinoa Greek Salad

1. Once the quinoa is cool, I add it to the center of the bowl and surround it with Romaine lettuce ( or greens of choice)and red cabbage. 
2. Then, add all the other ingredients to and around the quinoa.
3. Do not dress the salad until ready to serve, but make sure you toss it well so the quinoa absorbs all the yummy dressing. 

And, then dig in!

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• If using canned beets, drain and lay the beets on paper towels to reduce the amount of moisture from the brine.
• Do the same for the artichoke hearts and the banana peppers.
• Make sure the quinoa is cool before adding to the salad ingredients.
• So, if the dressing is cold, you can refrigerate ahead of time. If chilling the dressing makes it too thick, add water and whisk again.
• Do not dress the salad until serving.
• The dressing will last for 3-5 days refrigerated.

Try this quinoa Greek salad recipe this week for a healthy meal! You will love the combination of ingredients and tangy vegan Greek dressing.

More Vegan Salads to Try!

If you love this quinoa Greek salad, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe