Mediterranean Arugula Quinoa Salad

Flavor-packed Mediterranean ingredients like kalamata olives and feta cheese combined with arugula, chickpeas, and quinoa all tossed in a homemade sun-dried tomato vinaigrette makes Mediterranean Arugula Quinoa Salad a delectable, healthy salad that’s a perfect summertime meal or fresh side dish.

Panera has a Modern Greek Salad that I adore.  It’s fresh and flavorful and super healthy.  I enjoy that salad so much, I was inspired to create my version –  Mediterranean Arugula Quinoa Salad

Both salads have similar ingredients, but mine is more filling and entrée-like, which is what I want when it’s my main course. 

This super-tasty salad is perfect for vegetarians, fans of the Mediterranean Diet, a Flexitarian Diet, or anyone trying to eat healthier.

This Mediterranean salad is literally one of my favorite vegetarian meals!  My husband and I could eat it multiple times a week! 

We love how healthy the Mediterranean/Greek ingredients are, plus, they’re so flavorful!  The kalamata olives and feta cheese give the salad a fabulous, briny/salty flavor. 

The quinoa and chickpeas are both healthy proteins.  The arugula is peppery and bright, and when you toss it all in my homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, it’s bliss is a bowl.

 
Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down for complete recipe):

How to serve Arugula Quinoa Salad?

This salad makes a great main course or side salad, depending on what you’re serving it with.

For a main course, you could serve it with salmon, steak, shrimp, or chopped grilled chicken. 

To keep it vegetarian, you could serve it with tofu, plant-based meat, halloumi cheese, or your favorite protein.

Some great sides for this quinoa salad are:

Can you make this salad vegan?

This vegetarian salad can be made vegan by omitting the feta cheese or using a plant-based substitute.

How long is this Mediterranean salad good for?

If dressed, this salad is best the day it is made.  You could eat it up to 3-4 days later, but the arugula will wilt.

Looking for more delicious salad recipes?  Here are some favorites:

NOTES:

  • If you prefer more dressing on the salad, feel free to drizzle a little extra olive oil and/or white wine vinegar.
  • I’ve made this salad using a tri-color quinoa, but I prefer white quinoa for this recipe.

 

Mediterranean Arugula Quinoa Salad

Mediterranean Arugula Quinoa Salad

Flavorful Eats
Flavor-packed Mediterranean ingredients like kalamata olives and feta cheese combined with arugula, chickpeas, and quinoa all tossed in a homemade sun-dried tomato vinaigrette makes Mediterranean Arugula Quinoa Salad a delectable, healthy salad that's a perfect summertime meal or fresh side dish.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Quinoa cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup quinoa uncooked
  • 5 oz package of arugula
  • 15.5 oz can chickpeas
  • 1/3-1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
  • 5 oz crumbled feta cheese
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Instructions
 

  • Cook quinoa according to package directions. Once cooked, set it aside without the lid to cool down. When the quinoa has cooled, add it to a large bowl with all the other ingredients and toss to thoroughly incorporate everything. Enjoy!
  • Optional - add grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, or salmon
Keyword Arugula, Feta Cheese, Olives, Quinoa, Salad, Vegetarian
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