Best-Best Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-03-30 · Updated 2026-03-30

A vibrant, nutrient-packed salad with quinoa, roasted veggies, and a zesty lemon-tahini dressing. This mediterranean-inspired salads (vegetarian) ready in about 35 minutes pairs quinoa, halved cherry tomatoes, medium, diced zucchini into a side that holds its own next to almost any main — bright, balanced, and quick enough to slot into a weeknight plate. Each serving lands at about 250 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly next to roasted proteins, grain bowls, or weeknight mains. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup, halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium, diced zucchini
• 1 medium, diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup, finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Cook quinoa according to package instructions, then let cool.
2. Step 2: Toss cherry tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, and red onion with olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt, and black pepper.
3. Step 3: Fold cooked quinoa into the vegetable mixture. Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with additional lemon zest.