Description
Cucumber quinoa salad recipe with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing is a wonderful salad that’s perfect with any meal. Refreshing, healthy, and easy to make!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled
- 1 English cucumber (or regular cucumber, peeled/seeded), diced
- 2 to 3 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Fresh cracked black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Dice the cucumber and tomatoes into small, uniform cubes. Finely dice the red onion. Optional: If you find raw red onion too strong, soak the diced onion in cold water for 10-15 minutes, then drain well. Chop the fresh cilantro.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large salad bowl, combine the chilled cooked quinoa, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Dress Salad: Pour the extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice directly over the quinoa and vegetables in the bowl. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Toss: Gently toss all the ingredients together until everything is well combined and evenly dressed.
- Rest (Optional): For best flavor, let the salad sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve: Serve the quinoa cucumber salad at room temperature or lightly chilled.
Notes
- Quinoa: Ensure the cooked quinoa is completely cooled or chilled before making the salad. Leftover quinoa works perfectly.
- Cucumber: English cucumbers have thinner skin and fewer seeds. If using regular cucumbers, you may want to peel them and scoop out the seeds before dicing.
- Tomatoes: Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes like Roma or vine-ripened. Seeding them is optional but prevents excess moisture.
- Onion: Soaking the red onion mellows its sharp bite.
- Herbs: Fresh cilantro adds brightness. Fresh parsley or mint can be substituted or added.
- Variations: Add crumbled feta cheese, chopped bell peppers, or rinsed canned chickpeas for extra flavor and protein.
- Storage: Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The vegetables may release some liquid over time.