Greek Quinoa Bowl
What I really love about this is how versatile it is. You can enjoy it warm or cold, pack it for lunch, or even turn it into a quick dinner when you don’t feel like cooking something heavy.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Fine-Mesh Strainer
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Small jar or bowl
Ingredients
For the Quinoa Bowl
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives sliced
- 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped (optional)
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold running water using a fine mesh strainer. This helps remove any natural bitterness and keeps the final taste clean and mild.
- Add the rinsed quinoa to a medium saucepan with water or vegetable broth.
- Bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 12–15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat when all the liquid has been absorbed, then leave it covered for another 5 minutes so it finishes steaming.
- Pro tip: Don’t lift the lid while it’s simmering—keeping the steam trapped is what gives you light, fluffy quinoa instead of a sticky texture.
Fluff and cool the quinoa
- Remove the lid and gently fluff the quinoa using a fork.
- Spread it out slightly in the pot or transfer it to a large bowl to cool faster.
- Let it cool for a few minutes before assembling the bowl so the vegetables stay fresh and crisp.
- Pro tip: If you’re in a hurry, spread the quinoa on a tray—it cools much faster this way.
Prepare the vegetables and add-ins
- Wash and chop the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion into bite-sized pieces.
- Slice the kalamata olives and crumble the feta cheese if needed.
- Finely chop the fresh parsley and dill for extra freshness.
- Keep everything ready in separate small bowls for easy assembly.
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl or jar, add olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Whisk or shake vigorously until the dressing looks smooth and slightly thickened.
- Pro tip: Whisk continuously or shake well in a jar so the oil and vinegar fully emulsify instead of separating.
Assemble the Greek quinoa bowl
- Add the cooled quinoa to a large mixing bowl.
- Toss in the chopped vegetables, olives, feta cheese, and fresh herbs.
- Pour the dressing over everything.
- Mix gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed before serving.
- Pro tip: Add the dressing gradually—you can always add more, but it’s hard to fix an overdressed bowl.
Notes
Nutritional Value (Approx. per serving)
- Calories: 320–360 kcal
- Protein: 10–12g
- Carbohydrates: 28–32g
- Fiber: 5–6g
- Fat: 18–20g
- Saturated Fat: 4–5g
- Sugar: 4–6g
- Sodium: 500–650mg
- Calcium: 12–15% of daily value
- Iron: 10–12% of daily value