This is a great summer Greek Style Quinoa Salad with Feta Vinaigrette! It has your typical Greek salad flavors but with a slight twist due to the feta vinaigrette! This is the perfect salad to bring to a potluck or picnic. You can make the quinoa, dressing and chop the tomatoes and cucumber the day ahead. Just keep everything separate and assemble it right before your party.
My mom was here for a visit last week, which is always a treat. We had a couple of crazy days during this visit that started with our drive to Los Gatos for a photoshoot. We were on Highway 17 and all of a sudden the traffic came to a complete stop. I looked at my maps app and noticed it was red for a very long way.
The Waze app told us to get off on Bear Creek road. It took us over thirty minutes just to get to the exit. We finally got off of highway 17 and drove for about 20 minutes on Bear Creek road in an attempt to circumvent the traffic. When we got to where Bear Creek connects back onto highway 17, we saw that highway patrol had closed the on-ramp.
So we decided to try to continue further on Bear Creek road, but Waze directed us right back to the closed on-ramp where we started. I started to panic at this point because the cell reception isn’t very strong in that area of the woods and I had less than a quarter tank of gas.
I decided to call Robby because he knows these roads pretty well from his daily commute to San Jose. He was able to get us back on the Highway right after the closure. We really lucked out because most of the traffic ended up on the service road next to highway 17 and it was backed up for miles with cars trying to get back on the highway further down than where we got back on. We were so relieved when we finally made it to Los Gatos because we believed that the escapade was over.
The photoshoot went well and then we decided to head back home. I looked at my maps app and noticed everything was red. I called Robby again and he said it looked like we could drive through Saratoga on highway 9 to highway 35. We drove up highway 9 for 25 minutes only to find out that it was closed before the connection to highway 35. I started to freak out at this point because it is getting dark, I have night blindness and all I had to eat were some French fries.
The crazy thing is that the maps app didn’t show that highway 9 was closed. So we drove back down to Saratoga and decided that we would get something to eat and wait for the traffic to improve. Come to find out, a guy had robbed a bank in Scotts Valley and the police chased him down highway 17. He had crashed into a number of cars during the chase, had a shootout with the police and ditched his car. So, there was an armed and dangerous fugitive hiding in the woods where we were driving through.
We decided to get a room in Saratoga and stay the night. I had no change of clothing, no toothbrush or anything for that matter. We left at 6 am the next morning and as soon as we got home I went back to sleep for a few more hours. This experience has taught me to always keep my gas tank full and to keep food, water and other essentials in an emergency bag in my car. I highly recommend you do the same.
This salad goes nicely with a Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Rosé.
This salad goes nicely with a Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Rosé.
Greek Style Quinoa Salad with Feta Vinaigrette - CaliZona
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Cooked Quinoa – recipe below
- 1 Persian Cucumber or 1/2 Regular – about 1 cup - thinly sliced
- 1 Basket Cherry Tomatoes - cut in half
- 1 Small Yellow Bell Pepper - diced
- 1 Small Orange Bell Pepper - diced
- 1/4 Red Onion - diced
- 1/2 Cup Feta Crumble
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Oregano Leaves
Quinoa
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- 1 3/4 Cup Filtered Water
- 1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube – unsalted
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Feta Vinaigrette – Approx. 1 1/2 Cups
- 1/2 Cup Sheep Feta Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Champagne Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 Cloves Garlic
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Vinaigrette
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Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend well.
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Pour into a jar and set aside.
Quinoa
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Add the water, quinoa, bouillon cube and salt to a small pan.
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Bring to a boil and mash up the bouillon cube the best you can.
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Cover then turn down to medium-low or to a simmer.
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Cook for 15 - 18 minutes, until water is gone.
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Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Assemble
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Fluff the quinoa with a fork and try to break up any clumps.
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Let cool.
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Mix the onion and oregano into the quinoa.
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Top with the tomato, cucumber and feta.
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Add dressing to individual salads or stir everything together.
* It is best the day it’s made.
Health benefits:
Quinoa is a superfood that is extremely nutrient-rich and it is a complete protein source and high in fiber, which helps digestion heart health. It contains more antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients than any other grain. Unlike most grains, quinoa has a significant amount of gamma-tocopherol of the vitamin E family, which helps some inflammatory issues. It is a good source of magnesium (helps metabolism, cardiovascular, and blood vessel function, which is helpful for migraine headaches). Quinoa contains the antioxidant flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol even more than in cranberries. It is helpful in the regulation of blood sugar and also reduces your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
