Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

If you love Quinoa, like my family does, then here's a great Quinoa Salad recipe to try from Skinnytaste.com

*To cook the quinoa, it works similar to cooking rice.  I cook mine in the rice cooker; however, for every cup of quinoa, I place 3 cups of water.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe

A protein packed salad with Mediterranean flavors – quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon and a little feta cheese combined makes a healthy salad with fresh clean ingredients.

I had dinner at my friend Julia's house last week, and she made a similar salad as a side dish which she served with fish although hers didn't have tomatoes or feta (I recall she mentioned she was out). I posted a picture of it on Instagram the other day and got so many requests, most of you mentioning the feta was a must! So I made this for dinner last night, with the feta as you requested.

Have lots of leftovers so I am having a big bowl of this for lunch today! This also makes a great side dish for chicken or fish, perfect for backyard parties and BBQ's (can't wait for the warmer weather!) You can totally adapt this to your taste, leave out what you don't like, add more of what you do like. Easy!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Size: 1 generous cup • Old Points: 3 • Weight Watcher Points+: 5 pt 
Calories: 145.5 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 15.5  g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Protein: 4.3 g • Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 137 mg (without the salt) • Cholest: 7.4 mg  

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 - 3/4 lemon, squeezed
• 1/4 cup (about 10) kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups cucumber, peeled and diced (from 1 English)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Directions:

Rinse quinoa for about 2 minutes, using your hands to make sure all the saponins are removed.

Fill a medium pot with water, add quinoa and salt to taste and bring to a boil. When the water boils, reduce heat to low and cover; simmer covered 15 minutes. Removefrom heat and keep covered an additional 5 minutes without lifting the lid; then fluffwith a fork and set aside in a large mixing bowl to cool.

While the quinoa cools, dice all the vegetables. Add the red onion, olives, cucumber, tomatoes to the cooled quinoa, and squeeze 1/2 lemon over it.  

Drizzle the olive oil over the quinoa, then add feta, salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Taste for salt and adjust as needed, add more lemon juice if needed.

Makes over 6 1/4 cups.