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.
I’m on your husbands’ side! Olives are super gross! 😉 Everything else looks amazingly delicious and fresh for spring. We just need the weather to start co-operating here in Ontario! Have a great weekend ladies! 🙂
Lol, Sharon! This olive haters vs. olive lovers debate is so fun! You’re right, though – either with our without those olives, this salad is just what we need to kick off spring (although we’re still kinda waiting for it to actually arrive here in Ohio, too!) 😀 ~G&S
Gorgeous dish! Great post! Wonderful, healthy lunch to pack for work/school My daughter will love this. Must go right now and pin this right now to my “Brown Baggers” board so that others can share its yumminess. (Is that a word?) Have a great weekend!
Yes, yes, yumminess is most definitely a word! And the perfect way to describe this salad!
Thank you so much for pinning and sharing … we’re gonna have to check out that ‘Brown Baggers’ board! Sounds like it’s full of fantastic lunch ideas!
Have a great weekend, Lori! ~G&S
This looks *so* good! I love all the color! I’m always looking for more salads with quinoa or whole grains in them, so this is a keeper! Definitely will be adding olives to mine. 🙂
This sounds like a salad designed just for you, Kara! Quinoa and olives! 😀
We love this salad as a light lunch or as a side salad with dinner – it’s perfect anytime! And yes, add those olives! They add an amazing new level of flavor to the salad. So delicious! We think it’s a keeper, too! ~G&S
This salad is right up my alley. Love it and will be making it for sure soon! I am, sadly, NOT an olive person. I try them once or twice a year just to be sure…but I just can’t get behind them. I always feel like sort of a food-blog-failure because I’m not an olive fan…or mushrooms for that matter 🙂
Liz, you are the furthest thing from a food-blog failure! Your recipes are genius (and super delicious!!)! Kudos for continuing to try them – and who knows? Maybe one of these times you’ll love ’em! ~G&S
This salad is so beautiful! love all the colors and I just know it will taste amazing! LOVE!
Hi Trish! We wish you could actually taste the salad, right from your computer! It is totally delicious! Hope you try it soon! ~G&S