Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta and Lime

This quick and easy side dish showcases the bold Mediterranean flavors of lime, Feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and fresh parsley against the subtle backdrop of quinoa.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) is the edible seed, that looks like a grain,  from an ancient plant.

Unlike most plants, quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids.

It comes in multiple colors. The most common color is white, sometimes called golden, tan, yellow or just quinoa. Then there’s red, which is a little chewier and nuttier, black which is a little earthier and tricolor which is a beautiful blend of all three.

More obscure are orange and purple quinoa. I know they exist but I have yet to see them on my supermarket shelf.

Quinoa is simple to cook and happily pairs well with multiple flavors and diverse ingredients.

The more familiar you get with it, the more you’ll find yourself using this humble, inexpensive ingredient in your recipe rotations.

Thanks to the naturally salty flavors of the olive brine and Feta cheese in this recipe, you don’t need to add any additional sodium to help balance the flavors.

For best results, make this dish in advance (at least 30 minutes) to give the flavors a chance to blend.

If you have no time, make this dish at the beginning of your dinner prep. It will turn out just fine.

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta and Lime

This tangy quinoa salad dish cooks up in minutes and is an easy dinner side salad, a light lunch or a solid foundation for piling on grilled shrimp or chicken.

Course Main Course or Side Dish, Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Linda Lederman, Balaboosta's Secret

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups Water
• 1 cup Quinoa, uncooked
• 2 Limes, zest and juice
• 4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbed
• 2 ounces Kalamata olives, chopped, with brine
• 1/4 cup Fresh parsley, stems removed and chopped
• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a 2-quart pan or larger, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa, stir, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.
• Fluff quinoa with a fork and stir in lime zest, lime juice, Feta cheese, chopped olives, and fresh parsley until thoroughly combined. Season with black pepper, to taste. 
• If time allows, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Notes

1. Use a ratio of 1.25 cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa for light and fluffy quinoa every time. Use this proportion to scale up the recipe (ie. if you want to double the recipe, use 2.5 cups of water to 2 cups quinoa).
2. Cherry tomatoes, halved, would be a welcome addition to this salad as would be cilantro. Don't be afraid to add ingredients you like to add depth or crunch to this salad.
3. The brine from the feta cheese can be used as a marinade for chicken breasts. Just reduce the salt you use in your recipe.

What simple side salads are your go to recipe on busy weeknights? Please share your secrets in the comments below. Thanks, smiles.