Roasted Vegetable and Kalamata Olive Quinoa Salad

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-14 · Updated 2026-07-14

A nutritious quinoa salad loaded with roasted seasonal vegetables and briny Kalamata olives, tossed in a zesty lemon-olive oil dressing. This Mediterranean-inspired vegetarian recipe, ready in about 35 minutes, pairs quinoa, zucchini, red bell pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. 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 dry quinoa
• 1 medium, diced into 1/2-inch cubes zucchini
• 1 medium, diced into 1/2-inch cubes red bell pepper
• 1 small, cut into wedges red onion
• 3/4 cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
• 4 tbsp divided olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp divided salt
• 1/2 tsp divided black pepper

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss 1 diced medium zucchini, 1 diced medium red bell pepper, and 1 small red onion cut into wedges with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Spread vegetables on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until tender and caramelized.
2. Step 2: While vegetables roast, rinse 1 cup dry quinoa under cold water. Combine quinoa with 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Step 3: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer quinoa for 15 minutes until fluffy and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
4. Step 4: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper to make the dressing.
5. Step 5: Add the cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, 3/4 cup pitted halved Kalamata olives, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley to the dressing. Toss gently to combine.
6. Step 6: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve warm or chilled as a wholesome main or side salad.