Greek-Style Quinoa Salad

Here I present you with a Greek-style quinoa salad recipe with an Italian twist. You will be amazed at how the inclusion of Mediterranean ingredients can enrich this already healthy and delicious dish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of water (or vegetable broth for more flavor)
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 150 g of feta, crumbled
• Kalamata black olives, pitted and halved, to taste
• Juice of one lemon
• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Dried oregano, to taste

Preparation

1. Rinse the quinoa under running water to remove the saponin, which can give it a bitter taste.
2. In a medium pot, bring the 2 cups of water or vegetable broth to a boil and add the quinoa. Reduce the heat, cover, and let it cook for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid and is tender.
3. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest covered for another 5 minutes. Then, fluff it with a fork and let it cool completely.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa with the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, and olives.
5. Add the crumbled feta to the mix.
6. In a smaller bowl, emulsify the lemon juice with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano to create a dressing.
7. Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and stir well to absorb the flavors.
8. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

You can add an Italian touch by replacing the oregano with chopped fresh basil or adding cherry tomatoes instead of ripe tomatoes for a sweeter taste and a more vibrant presentation.

Curiosity

Quinoa is not native to Italy, but it has been warmly welcomed for its nutritional properties. Moreover, the quinoa salad lends itself well to Italian ingredients because of its versatility, skillfully blending the tastes of the Mediterranean with more exotic flavors.