Servings
Font
Back
4.2 from 30 votes

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Fried Olives

This quinoa bowl recipe with fried olives is the perfect healthy, easy lunch to prep for your busy week.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 4 -6
Calories: 656 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

For the dressing
  • 1/4 cup Chosen Foods Avocado Oil
  • 1/2 large lemon, juiced
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
For the cobb salad
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup chickpeas (marinated in some of the dressing)
  • 1 cup baby tomatoes, chopped in half
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 hardboiled eggs, sliced
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
  • 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped cucumbers
  • 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
For the fried olives
  • 18 pitted green olives
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese pieces, cut into small pieces from a block of cheese (about 1 inch long pieces)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup sparkling water plus more as needed to reach desired consistency - about 1 tbsp at a time
  • Chosen Foods Avocado Oil for frying

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a bowl and whisk OR add to a jar with a lid and shake well.
  2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place 1 cup on a bowl with 2 tbsp of the dressing. Set aside.
  3. To assemble the salad, in a large bowl or on a large platter, layer the cooked quinoa and then the other ingredients side by side (baby tomatoes, peppers, hardboiled egg, red onion, herbs, cucumbers, feta, artichoke hearts) - LEAVE SPACE FOR THE OLIVES.
  4. Now to make the olives: Slice feta cheese into smaller pieces, about 1 inch in length, to fit into the olives. Take one piece of feta cheese per olive and gently stuff the olive. Repeat until all olives are stuffed.
  5. Toss the olives in 3 tbsp flour and set aside.
  6. Next, make the batter. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Then whisk in the sparkling water until just combined and the consistency is like pancake batter. Add more water as needed if too thick.
  7. Add the avocado oil to a medium pot or high-sided pan, about 1 ½ – 2 inches and heat over medium heat. You’ll know when the oil is hot enough if you dip the back of a wooden spoon in the oil and it sizzles OR drop in a pinch of batter and see it sizzle.
  8. While the oil is heating, place a plate lined with a paper towel aside for cooked olives.
  9. Drop a few olives in the batter and remove with a fork one at a time, shaking off excess batter before carefully dropping the olives into the hot oil.
  10. Fry for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and rotate about halfway through to ensure golden brown colour all around the olive. If you find the olives are getting too dark in colour, turn the heat down a bit. Fry in batches until all olives are completed and let olives rest on a paper towel lined plate when done.
  11. Add the olives to the salad, drizzle over the dressing and enjoy!

Notes

  • If you want to use a different grain instead of quinoa, try cooked brown rice or farro. Or, you could omit the grains totally and substitute with arugula or chopped romaine lettuce.
  •  

Nutrition Information

Calories 656kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 67.9g (23%) Protein 23g (46%) Fat 34.4g (53%) Saturated Fat 10.5g (53%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5.1g Monounsaturated Fat 16.7g Cholesterol 134.7mg (45%) Sodium 1415.5mg (59%) Fiber 12.3g (49%) Sugar 6.8g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4-6

Amount Per Serving

Calories 656

% Daily Value*

Calories 656kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 67.9g 23%
Protein 23g 46%
Fat 34.4g 53%
Saturated Fat 10.5g 53%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.1g 30%
Monounsaturated Fat 16.7g 84%
Cholesterol 134.7mg 45%
Sodium 1415.5mg 59%
Fiber 12.3g 49%
Sugar 6.8g 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Report Abuse
Login to Continue
Forgot password?
Don't have an account? Register