Vegan Quinoa Greek Salad

Vegan Quinoa Greek Salad, an easy and healthy twist on traditional Greek-style salads. Comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients, including added quinoa for a boost of plant-based protein.

It’s time to switch up your salad routine! This Mediterranean-inspired salad combines romaine lettuce, kalamata olives, red onions, quinoa, and lemon with a lightly flavored olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.

👉 Here are three reasons why you should be making this simple Greek salad with quinoa:

• It’s easy to prepare. Simply cook the quinoa and mix it with the veggies, olives, and cheese. Drizzle olive oil and red wine vinegar over the top, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss all ingredients to combine.
• You can make it ahead. This salad easily holds up to storage for a few days in the refrigerator, which means it’s a great recipe to cook once and have leftovers all week. Add it to your meal prep menu!
• It’s super healthy. Not only do the veggies in this recipe provide lots of vitamins and minerals, the quinoa boosts the protein and fiber content, making it more filling. You’ll also get some healthy fats from the olives and olive oil.

Ready to learn how to make a vegan quinoa greek salad? Let’s do it!

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🥬 Ingredients you’ll need

Traditional Greek salad typically includes a variation of tomatoes, red onion, olives, and feta cheese. We’re making it vegan by omitting the cheese and adding quinoa, marinated artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor and nutrients!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Quinoa: An all-in-one grain and plant-based protein that boosts the nutrition and satiety of this salad!
• Romaine lettuce: The crunchy, refreshing base for this salad.
• Red onion: Adds flavor and crunch.
• Kalamata olives: Gives Greek salad a wine-like flavor.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: You can use any variation of tomatoes in Greek salad. We chose sun-dried tomatoes for their potent flavor. Bonus: you can use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar as salad dressing!
• Marinated artichokes: These have a light flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients in this recipe.
• Olive lil and red wine vinegar: You’ll use 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tsp red wine vinegar as dressing. A simple combination that doesn’t overpower the flavors of the rest of the ingredients.
• Optional vegan feta cheese: A classic Greek salad ingredient, but you can make it vegan-friendly by using plant-based feta cheese.
• Recommended tools: Large mixing bowl, small saucepan, salad utensils

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🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)

1️⃣ Step One: Cook the quinoa

Follow the quinoa package instructions, but the typical process for cooking quinoa is:

1. Add quinoa and double the amount of water to a small sauce (so 1 cup quinoa needs 2 cups water).
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes.
3. Quinoa is done when the water is absorbed and the small quinoa seeds (did you know quinoa is a seed?!) are soft and fluffy.

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2️⃣ Step Two: Assemble the salad

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the salad by adding chopped romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and marinated artichokes to a mixing bowl.

Add quinoa to the mixture when it’s done cooking. Mix ingredients together until well-combined.

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3️⃣ Step Three: Add the dressing

Drizzle the salad with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar.

You can add more or less to your personal taste and dressing preference.

Finish by adding a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the salad to combine all ingredients, and enjoy!

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❓ Recipe questions + quick tips

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👉 How to serve

The fresh, salty, and vinegary flavors of Greek salad pair well with just about anything. Here are some ideas for how to serve it:

• Enjoy on its own! With the addition of protein-packed quinoa, this salad is extra filling. It makes a delicious balanced meal by itself.
• Use as a side. You can serve Greek salad along with a variety of dishes.
• As a snack. Greek salad makes a refreshing, filling snack. Have a small portion when you need an energy boost between meals!

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🧊 How to store

This is the perfect make-ahead salad recipe that you can save until ready to serve. We suggest keeping it in an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator.

To extend how long this salad can be kept as leftovers, don’t add the olive oil and red wine vinegar to the entire salad. Instead, only add it to your personal portion and then store the salad dry in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will let the salad keep from about 3 days with dressing to 5-6 days without dressing.

👉 Does it freeze? We don’t recommend freezing this salad as it will not retain its texture after freezing and thawing.

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♻️ Sustainable kitchen tips

We’re all about sustainability here at Fork in the Road. Here are some ideas to make this quinoa Greek salad recipe eco-friendly.

Choose sustainable cookware and storage containers. Choose eco-friendly cookware for the small saucepan and for the large salad mixing bowl.

Don’t toss the sun-dried tomato oil. We love to use the fragrant oil from the sun-dried tomato jar as dressing instead of olive oil. You can also make your own Sun-Dried Tomato Oil Vinaigrette.

Keep food jars for other purposes. Save the jars that the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and marinated artichokes are stored in. You can wash them and use for other purposes, like making refrigerator pickles!

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🥗 More simple salad recipes

Love this easy Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe? Check out our other simple salad recipes:

• Grilled Peach Salad
• Simple Cranberry Arugula Side Salad
• Mexican-Style Three Bean Salad
• Roasted Cauliflower Chickpea Salad

UPDATE: This recipe was originally posted in June 2019 and updated for clarity in August 2021.