Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Arugula

An easy to prepare gluten-free and vegetarian salad that is perfect as a simple lunch or as a side dish.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad gluten free #glutenfreerecipes www.heaalthygffamily.com
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Arugula

Fresh, Savory and Delicious!

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This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is one of our favorite go-to salads, especially during the holiday season!

We love the savory and salty flavors in contrast to all our baking!

Gluten-free and vegetarian, it’s made with pantry staples, comes together quickly and is delicious!

It’s also perfect to keep in the fridge to grab for lunch or as a side dish, and if you’ve followed me awhile, you know I love keeping the fridge stocked with healthy salads we can easily grab for lunch!

Having healthy dishes in the refrigerator makes it so much easier to eat well and stay energized when we are either racing around and have little time for lunch, or when we become suddenly ravenous!

And this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is fresh, savory and packed with all the Mediterranean flavors my husband and I love so much!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad gluten free #glutenfreerecipes www.heaalthygffamily.com

It was inspired by one I made from Foodie Crush last year. I made it so often, I started tweaking it and making adaptations for our tastes and preferences.

The best part is that it is made with pantry staples and items we always have in our fridge so we can whip it up any time!

The details ….

It’s quinoa, arugula, chickpeas, finely chopped roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, red onions, crumbled feta, and lots of fresh basil, tossed in a Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette with basil and thyme.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad gluten free #glutenfreerecipes www.heaalthygffamily.com

Real, whole foods and simple ingredients that come together in one delicious salad!

The Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette is just 7 ingredients straight from the pantry whisked together… Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried basil, dried thyme, salt, pepper and a clove of garlic.

mediterranean quinoa salad gluten free #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

And the salad is really pretty because of the vibrant colors of the ingredients so it looks great on a table if serving at a party or brunch.

Pro tip…

When I make this salad for meal prep (as opposed to serving at a brunch or lunch), to keep it fresh through the week, I like to mix the quinoa, veggies and vinaigrette together and keep the arugula separate until we’re actually eating so that it doesn’t wilt.

That  way it always tastes super fresh!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad gluten free #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Hope you love it as much as we do!

Scroll down for the recipe and leave a comment if you try.

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Recipe

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5 from 3 votes

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This easy to prepare gluten-free and vegetarian salad is perfect as a simple lunch or as a side dish. It's savory, nourishing and delicious! Stores well for several days, especially if you keep the arugula separate and add when ready to eat.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad, Lunch, Side, Brunch
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family

Ingredients

Salad

  • 2/3 cup dry quinoa or just over 3 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper from a jar drained and chopped
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives sliced (I cut in half)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil cut thinly
  • 2-3 cups arugula according to taste, start with 2 cups

Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • kosher salt to taste I used about 1/4 teaspoon
  • ground black pepper to taste I used 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions

Make Quinoa

  • In a small to medium saucepan, add 1⅓ cups water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes then fluff with fork. Set aside.

Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette

  • In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl whisk all ingredients until well combined.

Assemble

  • In a large bowl add cooked quinoa, all ingredients except arugula and ½ the dressing. Toss to combine. Add more dressing as desired.
  • Toss in arugula when ready to serve.
  • Serve cold or room temperature. Stores well in the refrigerator for several days in a sealed container (especially if you don't add the arugula until ready to eat.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!

 

5 thoughts on “Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Arugula”

  1. 5 stars
    Made this on a Sunday and my husband and I had salad for work for two days! This is perfect, so filling, we just omit onion due to food intolerances.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    This is a really, really nice recipe! I served it with home grown arugula and WOW…SO delicious! Thanks for posting it!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Have made this twice now , once for the family and once for a potluck – a hit with everyone. I leave the feta on the side for a few DF folks. Thank you!

    Reply

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