Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This salad is a great summer salad and is perfect for meal prep. It keeps well in the refrigerator for the week. It's good for outdoor picnics and summer pool parties. The salad is full of flavor from the start. I always cook my quinoa in broth to make sure there's flavor in every bite.

Every summer I start to crave these Mediterranean flavors. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I see celebrities in their yachts off the Mediterranean coasts. Or maybe it's because when I am eating this salad for lunch during the week, it's my own little vacation to the Mediterranean.

The pops of salty from the olives and the tang from the artichoke hearts are my favorite bites in this salad. But I'm happy to get lots of protein and fiber from the grains. Quinoa is a whole grain that is a good source of protein and fiber. It doesn't have much flavor on it's own so I'm always cooking it in vegetable or chicken broth no matter how I'm using it. The flavor has to come from within. Cooking this grain in water is missing opportunity for big bold flavor.

The dressing for this salad is a simple Greek dressing that comes together in very little effort. It's just what you need to dress the salad and not more. There's a lot of tasty ingredients in the salad so a simple dressing is what this salad needs. No need to compete with the ingredients.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup Tricolor quinoa

2 Cups Vegetable broth, low-sodium

1 Red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 English cucumber, chopped

1/2 Red onion, diced

1/2 Cup Green olives, chopped

1/2 Cup Black olives, chopped

3 Cups Baby spinach, torn into large pieces

1/2 Cup Artichoke hearts, chopped

1 Cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 Cup Olive oil

1 tsp Dried oregano

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

Steps

1. Rinse the quinoa under cold running water for about 30 seconds. Then add the quinoa and vegetable broth to a medium pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12 - 15 minutes, until most of the broth has been absorbed. Do not take off the cover during this process. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes covered. Fluff with a fork. Allow to cool. Once cooled, quinoa is ready for the rest of the salad.

2. In a small bowl, add olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, add quinoa and remaining ingredients. Toss together and mix with reserved dressing. Salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. It' perfect to divide into meal prep containers for a delicious lunch or side.