Israeli Quinoa Salad

This Israeli Quinoa Salad makes a healthy salad recipe for lunch or dinner and is filled with flavor and nutrition from quinoa mixed with Israeli salad veggies including cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and parsley.

Today’s recipe is an oldie but a goodie! I’ve been going through the THM archives looking for delicious recipes that could use a little refresh (aka new pictures) when I rediscovered this Israeli Quinoa Salad. Not only did I immediately start craving it but I also have an abundance of tomatoes and cucumbers in our garden so it was the perfect recipe to use them up! I love that this recipe makes a huge serving and lasts all week. It only gets better as the flavors meld! It also reminds me of my last trip to Israel in 2017 and it’s making me wish I could go back. For now I’ll just have to make due with this salad. Enjoy!

What is Israeli Salad?

Israeli salad is an Israeli side dish common across Israel and many parts of the Middle East. It’s believed to have come either from Turkey (known as Coban Salatsi), a salad traditionally eaten by local shepherds or from the Persian salad known as Salad Shirazi, from the ancient city of Shiraz. Israeli salad is served with breakfast, lunch and dinner and has many variations including the addition of feta cheese, pomegranate seeds and preserved lemon. This Israeli Quinoa Salad is my own variation combining traditional Israeli salad with quinoa.

Israeli Quinoa Salad Ingredients

This salad recipe requires very simple ingredients and comes together quickly! Here’s what you need:

• Quinoa – I like using white quinoa but tricolor works too
• Tomatoes – be sure to seed your tomatoes
• Cucumber – persian cucumbers tend to be smaller and sweeter but you can easily sub in English cucumber if that’s all you can find.
• Red onion
• fresh parsley
• fresh lemon juice
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

How to Make Israeli Quinoa Salad

STEP 1: Cook quinoa according to package instruction.

STEP 2: Combine tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and parsley.

STEP 3: Mix veggies with quinoa and top with lemon and olive oil Add salt and pepper – add more to taste

STEP 4: Store in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Storing Israeli Quinoa Salad

I personally think this salad gets better over time! I love the way the flavors come together after a day or two of marinating in the fridge. To prep this ahead of time, I recommend following the recipe as directed and storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish as the consistency would be pretty weird after thawing!

How to Serve Israeli Quinoa Salad

Like I said above, you can definitely eat this salad on it’s own thanks to the added quinoa. Having said that, if you want to pair it with some other dishes, here are some ideas!

• Mixed in with chicken shawarma bowls
• Topped with grilled chicken
• As a side with veggie burgers
• In a baked falafel bowl

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