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This Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers packs a flavorful punch! Similar to tabbouleh but made with quinoa. Loaded with feta cheese and fresh parsley, this salad makes a great side to any main course!
Quick and refreshing!
And this Quinoa Salad with cucumbers has it all.
I just loving using up fresh tomatoes and cucumbers in the summertime. And quinoa is just a great addition to salads when you’re serving it alongside a bit of salmon or chicken.
Trust me. Each forkful packs a flavor punch. We start with ripe tomatoes, crispy cucumbers, sweet and tangy pomegranate molasses and salty feta cheese. It’s honestly the perfect salad and you can’t convince me otherwise.
This cucumber quinoa salad closely resembles a Middle Eastern Tabbouleh. We swapped the bulgur, for modern mediterranean flair by using some quinoa and some salty feta. Though bulgur does have more fiber, grains like quinoa pack a protein punch making it ideal for summer lunches, picnics, and potlucks.
My husband and I thought this was a perfectly delicious and filling lunch! Will definitely make this again and also serve as a side.
Ingredients for Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers
- Quinoa: is naturally gluten-free making this ideal for folks that are gluten intolerant.
- Cucumber: I like persian cucumbers, but English cucumbers work too. About 2-3 medium cucumbers will do the job.
- Tomatoes: use cherry or grape tomatoes here
- Parsley: fresh parsley works best
- Feta cheese: you can swap this for goat cheese or even cubed and pan-fried halloumi cheese.
- Lemon Juice: adds acid to the salad dressing
- Garlic: gives it flavor
- Honey: adds sweetness
- Pomegranate Molasses: has a tart and sweet taste
- Olive Oil: use extra virgin since the dressing isn’t being heated through
- Seasonings: you’ll need kosher salt and black pepper to season the dressing with
Recipe Variations
- Add onions: I skipped the onions all together but you could certainly use some scallions if you needed that flavor without a harsh taste of raw red onion in your mouth.
- More protein: feel free to add a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or some rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken breast from the refrigerator.
- Add leafy greens: Chopped spinach, baby arugula and kale are a great way to give this a bit more color and texture
Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers and Tomatoes
Ingredients
dressing:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
salad:
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups cucumber slices halves or quarters
- 10 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1/3 cup parsley chopped
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta
Instructions
- DRESSING: Combine the lemon juice, garlic, honey, pomegranate molasses, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is combined. Check for seasonings and adjust as desired.
- SALAD: In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, cucumber slices, tomatoes, parsley, and crumbled feta. You can let the salad cool in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Simply toss with the dressing and serve.
Notes
- If you would like to prepare the salad in advance: Keep the salad component and the dressing separate until you are ready to serve.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Made this with left over quinoa, substituted seedless raspberry jam for pomegranate molasses and served on top of small bed of chopped romaine. My husband and I thought this was a perfectly delicious and filling lunch! Will definitely make this again and also serve as a side.
Hi. I would love to make this but was wondering what I could sub out for the pomegranate molasses?
You could try replacing it with 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. It won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll give a similar flavor!
This looks amazing! Can I make it a few days ahead as long as I keep the dressing in a separated recipient?
This is delicious, I’ve made it a least a dozen time. A true winner!!!!
What can I substitute for the pomegranate molasses if I can’t find it?
We adore quinoa and eat them instead of rice very often. Yours looks so colourful, summery and flavour-packed!