Quinoa salad with feta

Quinoa salad with feta

Middle Eastern cuisine is known for its bold and flavourful dishes, and this quinoa salad with feta is no exception. Made with quinoa, feta, and roasted vegetables, this salad showcases the best of classic Middle Eastern ingredients. The combination of flavours and texture creates a deliciously sweet, tangy and nutty taste that will be perfect for breaking the fast and beginning iftar. So go ahead and give it a try!
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https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/recipes/quinoa-salad-with-feta/

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  • Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin, pepper, and onions in the tray. Add olive oil, garlic, and oregano and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes. Add courgette and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are well roasted. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
  • Combine the cooled vegetables, quinoa, and feta in a serving bowl or on a platter.
  • Whisk together the dressing ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and serve it with the quinoa salad.
Enjoy!
Tips

Make sure you cook the quinoa properly by rinsing it in a fine mesh strainer and cooking it in a pot with water and a pinch of salt until it is tender. Use a 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa when cooking, as this will help ensure that it cooks evenly. Cook the quinoa for about 15-20 minutes and fluff with a fork once it is done. This will separate the grains and prevent them from becoming mushy. Spread the cut vegetables evenly out in the baking tray to allow for maximum heat exposure and even caramelisation. When it comes to roasting the vegetables for our tasty Middle Eastern quinoa salad with feta, aim for 30-40 minutes total at 200°C, depending on the size of the vegetables. Be sure to keep an eye on them while they are in the oven to ensure that they do not burn.

Questions about quinoa salad with feta

Enjoy the delicious taste of Middle Eastern cuisine with our recipe for quinoa salad with feta. Read on to learn more about it!

How to make quinoa salad with feta cheese?
Making roasted vegetables and quinoa salad with feta is quick and easy. First, prep the vegetables for roasting. Once they have roasted in the oven, set them aside to cool. Then combine them with the cooked quinoa and feta cheese in a serving bowl or on a platter. Serve the quinoa salad with feta with a homemade dressing made from olive oil, honey, and balsamic or grape vinegar.
What vegetables to use for quinoa salad?
For this quinoa and feta salad, we use a combination of butternut squash, pepper, onion, and courgette. They provide a balanced mix of sweet, savoury, and crunchy flavours that complement each other well. The soft and slightly sweet butternut squash and pepper contrast with the slightly bitter and crunchy onion and courgette, creating a harmonious blend of flavours and textures.
How to roast vegetables for quinoa salad?
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Meanwhile, line a large oven tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin, pepper, and onion in the tray and toss with olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper before baking the vegetables in the oven for 25 minutes. Then, add the courgette and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Let the roasted vegetables cool for a bit before combining them with the other ingredients for the quinoa salad with feta.

Ingredients

Feta, cubed
150 g
Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1
Red pepper, cubed
1
Red onion cut into wedges
1
Olive oil
1 tbsp
Garlic cloves, crushed
2
Oregano
1 tbsp
Courgettes, cut into chunk
2
Cooked quinoa
185 g
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
Olive oil
240 ml
Balsamic or grape vinegar
2 tbsp
Honey
2 tbsp
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Quinoa salad with feta and roasted vegetables

Quinoa salad with feta and roasted vegetables is a delicious and simple salad that can be ready quickly and fuss-free. The combination of quinoa, feta cheese, butternut squash, red pepper, red onion, courgette, and garlic creates a vibrant and flavourful salad that is sure to satisfy a hearty craving. A fresh dressing made from olive oil, vinegar, and honey and drizzled on top completes the tasty quinoa salad with sweet and tangy flavours. Serve the quinoa with roasted vegetables as a main meal or side dish.

If you like our recipe for quinoa salad with feta and want to add more salads to the menu, be sure to check out our recipes for rocca salad, chicken Caesar salad, kale salad, and mint and feta spinach salad.

Make perfectly oven-roasted vegetables

Quinoa with roasted vegetables is a true treat. Making perfectly, flavourful oven-roasted vegetables is important for getting the right roasted flavours into the quinoa salad with feta. Luckily, it is quite easy. The vegetables are cut into smaller chunks and cubes and tossed with olive oil, crushed garlic, and oregano. When roasted at high heat, the natural sugars in the vegetables are caramelised, thereby intensifying their sweetness and depth of flavour. The roasted vegetables become tender and slightly charred, adding a roasted, smoky taste that pairs perfectly with the tangy feta cheese. Roasting also helps bring out the individual flavours of each vegetable, making them stand out and creating a more complex and interesting taste experience.

Feta quinoa salad full of Middle Eastern flavours

This roasted vegetables and quinoa salad with feta is the perfect example of how Middle Eastern flavours come together to create a tasty salad. The tangy feta cheese combined with the sweetness of caramelised butternut squash, red pepper, red onion, and courgette creates an explosion of flavours. Quinoa’s nutty flavour adds an extra layer to the salad and a nice crunch, making it a satisfying and filling dish.

The dressing, made from olive oil, honey, and either balsamic or grape vinegar, takes the quinoa salad with feta to the next level, adding a sweet and tangy flavour that balances the rich, smoky taste of the roasted vegetable and feta cheese. The combination of these flavours for the dressing produces a delicious flavour that is inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine.

Experiment with the dressing

A simple dressing made from vinegar, honey, and olive oil is all you need for a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savoury flavours in your roasted vegetables and quinoa salad with feta. But you can experiment with the ratio of the 3 ingredients to make it more fitting for your liking or the other dishes on the menu. For a sweeter dressing, add a little more honey and a little less vinegar. If you want it to be tangier, add less honey and more vinegar.

Try using different types of vinegar and honey. For instance, balsamic vinegar provides a rich, sweet flavour, while red or white wine vinegar adds a tangier and brighter flavour to the feta quinoa salad.

As for the honey, clover and lavender honey make a great addition to the dressing. Clover honey is light and delicate with hints of floral and fruity notes and a mild sweetness. If you prefer a more robust aroma, lavender honey is a perfect choice. With a strong floral taste and a hint of herbs, it is a great option if you want to add a bold flavour to the dish.

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