Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 large cucumber
• 1½ cups cherry tomatoes
• ½ medium red onion
• 1 medium bell pepper
• ½ cup fresh parsley
• ¼ cup fresh mint
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup feta cheese (optional)
• ½ cup kalamata olives (optional)

Steps

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water. Combine quinoa and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
2. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and let it cool completely. You can spread it on a baking sheet to speed up cooling.
3. While quinoa cools, dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the red onion, and dice the bell pepper. Chop the fresh parsley and mint.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.
5. Add the cooled quinoa, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, fresh parsley, and mint to the bowl with the dressing.
6. Toss everything gently to combine, ensuring all ingredients are well coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
7. Optionally, stir in crumbled feta cheese and kalamata olives before serving. Serve immediately or chill for later.