Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
First recipe back had to be a good one!!! Over the past year I’ve made a couple Quinoa Salads for friends and everyone has always loved them. This one I knew I had to share because I made it one evening while my daughter had a friend over and her friend devoured it and asked for seconds! It's always a good sign when your children’s friends enjoy your cooking! So one week later I made the quinoa salad again and gave some to another family and once again was told how much they loved it! So that was it I decided I must put it on the blog for other’s to enjoy! It’s the perfect side dish to take to summer BBQ’s and parties!
Seems crazy that it’s been almost a full 1.5 years since I’ve posted a recipe or blog post but my blog was put on the back burner as I just tried to survive being a mom to our 4 kids while my husband was away on military assignment in Italy for 9 months. For me my creativity diminishes when I’m stressed and depressed. I would be lying if I didn’t share that I’ve struggled since moving to Italy and then back. But I’m glad to be sharing again and hope I will have the urge to share more recipes and other topics on wellness!
I hope you enjoy this Quinoa Salad as much as my family and I do. If you can’t tolerate dairy or are Vegan just omit the Feta Cheese! This recipe makes a large amount around 10 good size servings so if you are only cooking for 2-3 you can always half the recipe otherwise it does keep in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Ingredients:
2 Cups dried Quinoa ( prepare as directed on package also preferably sprouted if available)
1 Large bunch of Cilantro chopped
2 Cucumbers diced
1/2 a 10oz Jar of pitted Kalamta Olives
1/2 a 10oz Jar pitted Green Olives
5oz Feta Cheese crumbled ( omit for vegan or dairy free)
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Cloves garlic minced
Juice of 1 Lemon
1-1 1/4 tsp Sea Salt ( to taste)
Directions:
Cook 2 Cups dried Quinoa according to package and let cool to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl combine cooked quinoa along with all ingredients and mix well so everything is combined.
Can serve immediately or serve cold. This tastes delicious the next day after the flavours have had time to sit. This also pairs well with a large spoonful of Hummus on the top. You can try pairing it with my Legume Free Roasted Summer Squash Hummus recipe ENJOY :)
