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Fresh Lemon Herb Quinoa Salad

Fresh Lemon Herb Quinoa Salad - featured image
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A quick, nourishing, and refreshing quinoa salad with fresh lemon juice, herbs, and vegetables, perfect for a light meal or side dish.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (170g) uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
  • 2 cups (480ml) water or low-sodium vegetable broth
  • Juice of 2 medium lemons (about 4 tablespoons/60ml), freshly squeezed
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup (15g) fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup (10g) fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 medium cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup (75g) feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Rinse the quinoa under cold running water for about 30 seconds using a fine-mesh strainer. Drain well.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups (480ml) of water or vegetable broth to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender but slightly chewy.
  3. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool completely.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
  5. Dice cucumber, halve cherry tomatoes, finely dice red onion, and chop parsley and mint. Add all to the cooled quinoa.
  6. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and vegetables. Toss gently but thoroughly to combine and coat evenly. Adjust seasoning if needed.
  7. Crumble feta cheese over the top just before serving, if using.

Notes

Rinse quinoa well to remove bitterness. Cool quinoa completely before adding dressing to prevent wilting herbs. Let salad chill for 30 minutes before serving for best flavor. Add feta just before serving to keep it fresh. Variations include adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas for protein, or swapping herbs and vegetables seasonally.

Nutrition

Keywords: quinoa salad, lemon herb salad, healthy salad, easy salad recipe, gluten-free salad, vegetarian salad, fresh herbs, light meal

Find it online: https://tessierecipes.com/fresh-lemon-herb-quinoa-salad-recipe-easy-healthy-meal-idea/