Here is a Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl recipe that is crisp, crunchy, fresh, creamy, salty, and savory in every bite. Piled high with nutritious greens, hearty grains, vibrant herbs and protein-packed chickpeas, it’s a healthy vegetarian recipe great for meal prep, light lunches, and dinner.
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Why You’ll Love This
- Celebrates the vibrancy of the Mediterranean – and veggies can be swapped out for whatever you like!
- It’s a healthy, jam-packed, vegetable forward recipe!
- Easy to make in just over 30 minutes!
- Double or triple the recipe and follow some of my best meal prep hacks for meals throughout the week.
Ingredients for Mediterranean Bowls
I’ve broken up the ingredients in the recipe card based on their respective cooking step. But here’s a list of what we need for this Mediterranean salad with quinoa.
- chickpeas – look for low-sodium chickpeas and make sure to drain, rinse and air dry on the sheet tray for a few minutes before roasting.
- extra virgin olive oil – go for the good stuff here. We want some for roasting the chickpeas and some more for drizzling on top.
- Italian seasoning – most Italian herb blends contain a mix of oregano, marjoram, parsley, rosemary and thyme. If you don’t have a blend, sprinkle a pinch of whichever herbs you have in your pantry.
- quinoa – I prefer the taste and texture of white quinoa for this recipe, but use whatever you have on hand, such as rice, farro, freekeh, etc.
- Greek yogurt – look for a full-fat, plain Greek yogurt for an ultra creamy dressing.
- lemon juice – the juice of one lemon should provide just the right amount of tang.
- dill – this is the quintessential herb in Tzatziki – make sure not to skip it!
- garlic – if using one whole garlic clove, process the dressing in a food processor or blender. If using already minced garlic, you can whisk the dressing by hand.
- salad greens – use your favorite greens – spinach, kale, arugula, Mesclun, baby romaine – the options are endless.
- Persian cucumbers – Persian cucumbers are those small, mini cucumbers usually sold in packets. Slice them on a diagonal for a pretty presentation.
- red onion – slice as thin as you can. If you are not a fan of raw onion, place the onion slices in a bowl of cool water for 10 minutes to take some of the bite off.
- grape tomatoes – grape tomatoes are classic, but bright and beautiful cherry tomatoes are a great sub.
- Kalamata olives – look for already pitted purple Kalamata olives at the olive bar or sold in glass jars.
- feta cheese – buy a whole block of feta cheese from the cheese counter and crumble it at home. The flavor and texture beats the pre-crumbled version.
- hummus – go for your favorite grocery store hummus. I like a classic hummus, but feel free to go crazy with roasted red pepper, garlic, pine nut, or Mediterranean herb.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
How to Make a Mediterranean Bowl
This is one of those compartmental salads that’s assembled after a few different cooking techniques. Let’s discover and tackle each one.
Roast Chickpeas
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain and rinse chickpeas from their can, then scatter onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow the chickpeas to air dry for 5 minutes. Toss with olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing once in between, until chickpeas are golden brown and crispy; set aside.
Cook Quinoa
Place rinsed quinoa in a small pot with 1 and ⅓ cups water or broth. Allow the pot to come to a boil, then reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Make Dressing
In a small food processor or blender, blend together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, garlic and salt. Once ingredients are combined, stir in diced cucumbers with a spoon. (If using already minced garlic you can just whisk together ingredients by hand).
Assemble Bowls
In 2 medium bowls, evenly distribute greens, cooked quinoa, sliced cucumber, red onions, grape tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, hummus, and roasted chickpeas. Drizzle with tzatziki dressing.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve it just as is, with extra tzatziki dressing to drizzle on top. Some of my favorite ways include:
- Light lunch: This quinoa Mediterranean salad makes for the perfect light lunch. Double the recipe and check out some of my meal prep tips below!
- Vegetarian dinner: This recipe make two Mediterranean quinoa salad bowls big enough for a hearty dinner.
- Serve it as a side dish: Serve it alongside portobello mushroom burgers, quinoa black bean burgers, or easy chickpea burgers. This should serve four as a side. It makes a great addition to picnics, potlucks, and BBQs, too.
Try a Variation
This healthy quinoa salad recipe is delicious as-written, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play around with the veggies. Here are a few ideas to make it your own:
- Make it vegan: Omit the cheese or use your favorite vegan feta. Change the dressing to a lemon, Greek, or Italian vinaigrette. Amp up the olives and hummus for a deeper, more savory flavor.
- Swap out the grains: You could try brown rice to keep it gluten-free. If gluten is not a concern, try farro or Israeli couscous instead.
- Switch out the veggies: Omit the greens entirely or replace them with butter lettuce cups. You could even toss in a handful of roasted broccoli or roasted red peppers.
- Go for a different cheese: Not a fan of feta? Crumbled goat cheese would be a great sub.
Quinoa Salad Meal Prep Tips
- Roast chickpeas and store in an open container. This keeps them crunchy. Transfer to a sealed container in the fridge after 3 days.
- Store cooked quinoa in the fridge. The quinoa will keep for up to 4 days.
- Prep salad ingredients and store in individual containers. Just make sure you have enough containers to store each ingredient separately. Every time you open your fridge, it will look like a meal prep dream.
More Quinoa Bowl Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
Roasted Chickpeas
- 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas , (garbanzo beans)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Quinoa
- ⅔ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained (makes 2 cups cooked)
Tzatziki Dressing
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup diced Persian cucumber or English cucumber
Salad + Assembly
- 2 large handfuls spinach, or kale
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced (or English cucumbers)
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup traditional hummus
Instructions
- ROAST CHICKPEAS: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain and rinse chickpeas from their can, then scatter onto prepared baking sheet. Allow the chickpeas to air dry for 5 minutes. Toss with olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing once in between, until chickpeas are golden brown and crispy; set aside.
- COOK QUINOA: Place rinsed quinoa in small pot with 1 and ⅓ cups water or broth. Allow pot to come to a boil, then reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until quinoa water has gone. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
- MAKE DRESSING: In small food processor or blender, blend together all ingredients except for diced cucumber. Once ingredients are combined, stir in diced cucumbers with spoon.(If using already minced garlic you can just whisk together ingredients by hand.)
- ASSEMBLE BOWLS: In 2 medium bowls, evenly distribute greens, cooked quinoa, sliced cucumber, red onions, grape tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, hummus, and roasted chickpeas. Drizzle with tzatziki dressing. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Prep salad ingredients and store them in individual containers for up to 4 days. Nutrition approximate, includes dressing.
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