Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe | Two Peas & Their Pod

Mediterranean Three Bean Quinoa Salad-this protein-packed quinoa salad is full of flavor and great served as a main dish or side dish.

I hibernate during the cold winter months. I leave my house to go to the gym, grocery store, church, and that’s about it, unless something special comes up. I hide under my covers and wait for the snow to melt. We got a ton of snow over the holidays and I don’t think it is going anywhere anytime soon, so I am trying to find ways to survive inside.

Last week, I made my favorite Mediterranean Three Bean Quinoa Salad. I usually make this salad in the summer, but I needed a little pick me up to help me beat the winter blues and this salad did the trick. It is light, refreshing, and reminds me of summertime.

This salad is actually perfect for the new year because it is loaded with protein and veggies. The quinoa salad has three types of beans-green beans, garbanzo beans, and white cannellini beans. It also has cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and fresh basil. You will love all of the color and flavors.

Oh, and you can cook the quinoa on the stove, but I tried cooking the quinoa in our new Instant Pot and it only took ONE minute and was perfect. So if you got an Instant Pot for Christmas, try it out! It is great for cooking up quinoa. So easy!

Before serving, I dress the salad with a simple balsamic dressing. This salad is great served as a main dish for lunch or dinner or you can serve it along side chicken or fish. I love making this salad because it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. I love the leftovers and I have even pulled this salad out for breakfast. Starting the day with veggies and protein is always a good idea. You could even scramble up some eggs to go on the side. This Mediterranean Three Bean Quinoa Salad is good anytime of the day and will help bring a little summer to a cold winter day!

Mediterranean Three Bean Quinoa Salad

This protein-packed quinoa salad is full of flavor and great served as a main dish or side dish.

Yield: Serves 6-8

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes

Total Time:35 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• ½ lb. green beans, trimmed and snapped into 2-inch pieces
• 1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 cup chopped seedless cucumber
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, blanch the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain the green beans and place in a bowl of ice water. Drain well and pat dry.
3. Add the green beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, olives, and basil to the bowl with the quinoa.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and gently stir until salad is coated with dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve.

Note-if you have an Instant Pot, you can cook the quinoa in your Instant Pot. It only takes one minute.