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4.6 from 72 votes

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe

🫒🧀😋 This EASY quinoa salad is ready in 20 minutes with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients, including chickpeas, Kalamata olives, artichokes, and goat cheese, to give layers of flavor and texture in every bite! Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 519 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion diced small (white or yellow onion may be substituted)
  • 1 cup dry uncooked quinoa I used white; another color may be substituted
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2-3 cups fresh spinach loosely packed (2 heaping handfuls)
  • one 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed (I use no-salt added)
  • one 15-ounce can artichoke hearts* drained and halved or quartered or 1 cup frozen that have been thawed and drained (See Notes)
  • ⅔ cup pitted and drained black Kalamata olives or as desired
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste if desired
  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
  • 6 ounces goat cheese crumbled (feta may be substituted)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To a large skillet or saucepan, add the olive oil, onion, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened and just begun to barely brown, about 7 minutes.
  2. Add the quinoa and stir it into the onions and let it toast for about 30 seconds.
  3. Add the water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed** (See Notes). While it’s simmering, prep and drain the remaining ingredients.
  4. When the quinoa is done, turn off the heat, add the spinach, and stir into the quinoa until it wilts, about 1 minute.
  5. Add the chickpeas, artichokes, olives, cardamom, salt, pepper, stir well to combine, and taste. If desired, add additional salt, pepper, cardamom, or for a tiny bit of heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  6. Add the goat cheese (wait until the quinoa has cooled if you don't want it to melt into the quinoa and disintegrate), stir to combine, and serve. Quinoa salad may be served warm and fresh, at room temp, or chilled straight from the fridge.

Notes

  • *For the artichokes I used one 15-ounce can artichokes, packed in water, that I rinsed, drained, and quartered. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, I recommend their frozen artichoke hearts in a pale yellow bag; thaw and drain them and use about 1 cup. I don't recommend artichokes packed in oil for this recipe because I think it will make the overall quinoa salad taste greasy
  • **All quinoa cooks slightly differently and if during the cooking process your quinoa looks like it needs a bit more water in order to fully soften, feel free to add another one-quarter cup or so.
  • Storage: Quinoa salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months, noting that the color and texture of the spinach will change upon thawing, but the taste is just fine. I actually find that this simple flavors marry together and this quinoa salad almost tastes better the second day.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 519kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 54g (18%) Protein 21g (42%) Fat 26g (40%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 17g Cholesterol 16mg (5%) Sodium 1238mg (52%) Fiber 13g (52%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 519

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 519kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 54g 18%
Protein 21g 42%
Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 17g 100%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 1238mg 52%
Fiber 13g 52%
Sugar 6g 12%

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