Mediterranean Confetti Quinoa Salad
~ A healthy, beautiful and wildly delicious quinoa salad! Quinoa and confetti greens are accented with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, cheese and a fabulous balsamic vinaigrette. ~
This Recipe Is: • Make Ahead • Vegetarian • Gluten Free •
I’ve been making various versions of this salad for years, and it’s always, always the showstopper.
As in, everyone at the party asks for the recipe and volunteers to take home the leftovers. (Ummmmm … no … I kinda wanted them for myself …)
And as in, my husband stands at the refrigerator, shoveling forkfuls into his mouth and incoherently mumbling, “This is so good … I can’t stop eating it … you have to post this …”
Ok – I have to post this.
It’s like a party in a bowl (and in your tummy).
Colorful confetti-bits of greens, veggies and cheese make it eye-catching. A delicious balance of bold flavors makes it sensational. Quinoa (our friend the protein powerhouse) combines with salty parmesan and feta, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, sunny fresh basil, rich pine nuts, and kicky radicchio.
Super-healthy spinach hangs out quietly in the background, and nobody even realizes how many healthful ingredients are piling onto their plates. It all comes together with a simple balsamic dressing.
Fabulous.
And for those who are not olive-impaired … you must add the kalamatas. They put this salad completely over the top on the taste-o-meter.
Now, Gretchen and I do both understand that olives are not for everyone. Try as they might to overcome it, both our husbands harbor strong, incurable olive aversions. It’s sad. We feel sorry for them.
But since our Romeos have so many, many other wonderful qualities, we have eventually come to accept what we just cannot change.
They swear this salad is awesome without the olives, but we just laugh, comfortable in the knowledge that it’s even better yet if you add the kalamatas.
You be the judge … stirred in or served on the side … (pssssst … include the olives!).
More Great Quinoa Salads to Try:
Mediterranean Confetti Quinoa Salad
This beautiful and wildly delicious quinoa salad is both healthy and so easy! Quinoa and confetti greens are accented with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, cheese and a fabulous balsamic vinaigrette!
• Make Ahead • Vegetarian • Gluten Free •
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 small- to medium-sized head radicchio, cored and finely chopped (to yield about 2 cups)
- 6 ounces baby spinach, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (see note)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped kalamata olives, optional
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or white balsamic – see note)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare quinoa according to package directions. After cooking, allow to cool completely and fluff with a fork.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, radicchio, spinach, tomatoes, parmesan, basil, feta, pine nuts, garlic, and olives (if using). Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour over quinoa mixture and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Chill until serving.
Notes
Parmesan: The flavor profile and assertiveness of parmesan can vary notably depending on the brand and quality, and that can really impact the final flavor of this salad. Depending on the flavor of your parmesan and whether you're including the olives, you will likely need just 1/2 cup of parmesan. However, if your parmesan isn't quite as flavorful, you might need the extra bit of salty-tang from the full 3/4 cup of cheese. We recommend that you start with the more modest 1/2 cup and see how you like the taste – you can always add more if you choose. Also, to make this salad recipe truly vegetarian, be sure to select a parmesan cheese made with non-traditional enzyme alternatives from microbes or fermentation, rather than the traditional rennet.
Balsamic vinegar: For the purposes of presentation, white (or golden) balsamic yields a prettier and more vibrantly colored salad because it doesn't tinge the other ingredients with the brown color of typical balsamic vinegar. If regular balsamic is all you have on hand, though, definitely just use that – the salad will still be lovely and will taste just as fabulous.
Make-ahead option: This salad can easily be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated until serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 servings Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 214mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
This salad is inspired by the flavors of the Orzo with Everything recipe I found years ago in America’s Test Kitchen “Cook’s Country” magazine. I’ve made a lot of changes, both to make my version healthier (by subbing quinoa and adding spinach, and upping the sun-dried tomatoes while cutting back on the fat from the parm, pine nuts, olives and olive oil) and also played with the aesthetics (adding reduced-fat feta to help provide a salty kick for those who don’t like olives and using white balsamic for a prettier presentation). Still, the original recipe is fantastic in its own right and definitely deserves a nod as the recipe that inspired me.
This is my kind of party salad and definitively a showstopper! I love the addition (of well everything) but especially the subtle “background” spinach and the kalamata olives. I learned to love olives a couple years ago and I could honestly eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I know eating olives for breaky sounds a bit odd but after visiting Turkey I was hooked on the Mediterranean olive breakfast 🙂 I will for sure be making this recipe next week – can’t wait to try it! Oh, and thank you for the “how to cut raddichio” tutorial because until now I had no idea and also bought it pre-cut. Have a great weekend ladies!
Thank you for your sweet comments, Ceara! We’re so happy to hear you’re ‘Team Olive’ along with us! Lol!
Glad the ‘How To’ pictures helped you! It really isn’t too hard … but that gorgeous purple head can be intimidating at first! Now you’ll be a radicchio chopping champ! 😀
Have a fabulous weekend! ~G&S
Haha this salad sounds great!!! …and I have to side with your husbands on this one, I’m not an olive fan either! I know, don’t think less of me hahahaha.
Haha Chris! No, no, we won’t think less of you! And truly, our husbands have told us this salad is phenomenal without the olives … you could always offer them on the side and olive lovers can help themselves. That way, everyone is happy! 😀 ~G&S
I love the colors, flavors, and textures. What a beautiful and healthy salad.
Hi Pam! This salad will absolutely be the centerpiece on your table – the colors are so vibrant! Hope you make this soon … it’ll be a favorite in no time! 🙂 ~G&S
YUM! I can already tell this will be my go-to summer salad!
Yes, Katie! This salad is SO fresh and delicious – YUM, indeed! And it is just beautiful on the table – a showstopper for sure!
Thanks for your sweet comment … and have a great weekend! 😀 ~G&S
I was lucky enough to get a sample of this last summer and have been waiting for the recipe! This is so good!! I already printed the recipe and forwarded it to a few people in my family that I know will love it as well.
Marrie, I am so absolutely flattered that you still remember this salad from almost a year ago – that you loved it that much!!! 😀 Honestly, though – people beg for this one and pester me for the recipe once they’ve tried it! I’m just so happy to know that I can make something so jam-crammed with nutrition, and people will just go crazy for it because it’s so addictively delicious! My mission is complete … 😀 Hey – thanks a million for taking the time to leave us a comment and tell our other readers how much you like this – means the world to me, really! Have an awesome day, friend! ~Shelley