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Quinoa & Feta Salad: A quick side dish that pairs with almost anything.

Originally Posted: Dec. 6, 2021

Mango-Habanero Glazed Salmon with Quinoa Salad
Quinoa & Feta salad pairs nicely with this Mango-Habanero Glazed Salmon that I originally cooked for my homebrewing blog.

Total Time: about 30 minutes

Jump to Recipe

Intro

This easy side dish is based on a simpler version that my mom used to make for us; her version was just quinoa, diced tomatoes, and feta cheese. One night we had a conversation about other ingredients that could be added to make it better, and this recipe was born from that.

I added a can of black beans the first time I tried to make a variation of this, and it added a nice texture variation to the mix (not to mention some extra fiber). I told my mom about it, and she suggested that make some corn would also be a good addition. The idea made me think of a salsa that Trader Joe’s carries called “Cowboy Caviar”. The next time I made quinoa salad as a side to some homebrew-related recipes, I had a jar of Cowboy Caviar ready. It turned out to be the perfect ingredient to add more flavor.

Between the feta & spinach and the Cowboy Caviar or black beans and the quinoa, I can’t decide if this dish is more Mediterranean or Latin. I’ll just call it a fusion I guess.

Trader Joe's Cowboy Caviar
A jar of Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar. I believe other companies also make this style of salsa, but this was the first one I ever tried.

Ingredients

Equipment

  • A large(-ish) pot
  • Measuring cups

Written Instructions

Total Time: about 30 minutes, I dunno.

Baby Spinach
This entire pound of baby spinach will reduce down quite a lot.

Start by cooking the baby spinach down in a little bit of oil and salt. Once the spinach is completely wilted, take it out of the pot with spoons or tongs and set aside. The spinach will leave behind a green residue called pot liquor (or potlikker), which is full of vitamins and minerals, and will end up soaking into the other ingredients.

Quinoa with broth
Once cooked, all of this flavorful broth will be soaked up by the quinoa. The “pot liquor” left over from the spinach will also be soaked up, adding vitamins and minerals.

Once the spinach is set aside, add 1 cup of white quinoa (or amaranth if you prefer) and 2 cups of your choice of broth. I usually use chicken or vegetable broth made with Better Than Bouillon, but you can experiment with any broth. The advantage to Better Than Bouillon (for me at least) is that it keeps well in the fridge so you can make broth whenever you need it. It also has better flavor than bouillon cubes, and it comes in more flavors than many other brands. Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, until the quinoa has soaked up all the liquid.

Quinoa Salad without Feta
The salad mixture with everything except the feta.

Add the jar of sundried tomatoes in oil. Sometimes I just dump the entire jar in, oil and all; the oil adds more flavor. Alternatively you can use a handful or two of plain sundried tomatoes to save on some calories.

Then, add either the jar of Cowboy Caviar or the canned black beans. If using black beans, I like to rinse them first to get rid of any raffinose that might be left over (this will make the beans less.. “gassy”, but keep in mind that raffinose is also a prebiotic that’s good for your gut bacteria). Add the cooked baby spinach back in at this time, too.

And finally, the feta crumbles. I prefer to let the salad cool down a little before adding the feta so that it doesn’t melt, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it that way.

Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, add the feta cheese; cooling first prevents the feta from melting. I prefer it this way, but maybe you’ll prefer mixing the feta in while everything is still warm and letting it melt.

The nice thing about this salad is that it’s good both warm and chilled, and it’ll last at least 3 or 4 days in the fridge. It’s also versatile in terms of pairing it with other dishes.

Pyment-Marinated Steak with Quinoa & Feta Salad
Quinoa & Feta Salad also pairs well with steak and potatoes. In this case I chose it as a simple side dish for some Pyment Mead Marinated Steak that I cooked for my homebrew blog.

Quinoa & Feta Salad

An easy side dish of Quinoa, vegetables, and feta cheese.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 people
Calories 363 kcal

Equipment

  • Pot
  • Measuring cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup White Quinoa (Can substitute Amaranth)
  • 2 cups Broth
  • 4-6 oz Feta cheese crumbles
  • 1 jar Cowboy Caviar (Can sub. 1 can black beans)
  • 8.5oz jar Sundried tomatoes in oil
  • 16oz bag Baby spinach

Instructions
 

  • Cook 16oz. of baby spinach down until it’s completely wilted.  Set aside for later.
  • Add 1 cup of white quinoa or amaranth, and 2cups of your choice of broth or stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until the quinoa has soaked up all the liquid.
  • Add the jar of sundried tomatoes in oil and either a jar of Cowboy Caviar or a can of black beans, rinsed.  Add the cooked spinach back in as well.
  • Remove pot from heat and allow it to cool.  Once cooled, add the feta cheese crumbles.
  • Serve warm or chilled.  This salad makes great leftovers and will last several days in the fridge.

Related posts:

  1. Chorizo & Egg Bowl

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