Recipe of the Month: Greek Quinoa Salad

by GRP Biathlete Margie Freed
Adapted from Clean and Delicious

This recipe is quick, easy, and you’ll be left happy thanks to the nutritious ingredients. The dressing is light but full of flavor, bringing out each piece of the salad. Check out those awesome colors! This Greek salad may very well become a staple in your rotation of meals.

Ingredients:

1 c dry quinoa
2 c water or broth
1 English cucumber quartered and cut into bite sized pieces
1/3 c diced red onion
2 c grape tomatoes halved
1/2 c Kalamata olives sliced in half
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1/3 c feta cheese crumbled

For the dressing:

1 large clove or two small garlic crushed
1 t dried oregano
1/4 c lemon juice
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 t dijon mustard
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t sea salt (or less)
1/4 t black pepper

Instructions:

Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, broth or water, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. You will notice a little white ring around each piece of quinoa – this is the germ and indicates that the quinoa is cooked. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, garbanzo beans and feta cheese. Set aside.

To make the dressing, combine garlic, oregano, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and dijon mustard in a small jar. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. If using a mason jar, you can simply put the lid on and shake the jar until well combined. Drizzle the salad with dressing (you may not use all the dressing) and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!