Provenance Quinoa Salad with Herbs

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-03-31 · Updated 2026-03-31

A vibrant Mediterranean-inspired salad with fluffy quinoa, tangy cucumbers, and crumbled feta, dressed with lemon and olive oil. This mediterranean-inspired salads (vegetarian) ready in about 35 minutes pairs quinoa, chickpeas, medium, diced cucumber 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 280 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
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1 medium, diced cucumber
• 1 small, finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup, crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup, chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold water. In a medium pot, combine quinoa with 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Let cool.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, mix cooled quinoa with 1/2 cup chickpeas, 1 diced cucumber, 1 small red onion, and 1/4 cup kalamata olives.
3. Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
4. Step 4: Fold in 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese and 1/4 cup fresh parsley. Serve chilled.