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This mediterranean quinoa salad high protein recipe is the weekday lunch upgrade you’ve been looking for — packed with plant-based power, fresh vegetables, and bold Mediterranean flavors. With over 20 grams of protein per serving, it fuels your body without weighing you down.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for busy weeknights or quick meal prep sessions.
- Delivers an impressive 22 grams of protein per serving thanks to the quinoa, chickpeas, and feta working together.
- Bold, satisfying flavors from kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and lemon-herb dressing mean you’ll actually look forward to eating healthy.
- Keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days, so you can prep a batch on Sunday and eat well all week.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa — rinsed well to remove bitterness
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas — drained and rinsed, your primary protein booster
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes — halved
- 1 English cucumber — diced small
- ½ red onion — finely diced
- ½ cup kalamata olives — pitted and halved
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes — oil-packed, roughly chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese — adds protein and creamy saltiness
- ¼ cup fresh parsley — chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice — about 1½ lemons
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic — minced
- Salt and black pepper — to taste
Serves 4 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 15 min
How to Make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Cook the quinoa by combining 1 cup rinsed quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 13–15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool to room temperature — this prevents the salad from getting soggy.
- Make the lemon herb dressing while the quinoa cools. Whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, a pinch of salt, and several cracks of black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Prep your vegetables by halving the cherry tomatoes, dicing the cucumber, finely chopping the red onion, halving the olives, and roughly chopping the sun-dried tomatoes. Having everything cut to a similar small size ensures a good mix of flavors in every forkful.
- Combine everything in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled quinoa, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped parsley. Pour the dressing over the top and toss thoroughly to coat every ingredient.
- Finish with feta by gently folding in the crumbled feta last so it doesn’t break down completely. Taste once more and adjust with lemon juice or salt. Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld — it genuinely gets better as it sits.
