Description
A healthy and refreshing salad featuring grilled zucchini, fluffy quinoa, fresh herbs, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Perfect as a light meal or a side dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 medium zucchinis, sliced lengthwise
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for grilling)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for dressing)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water or vegetable broth to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let it cool.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush zucchini slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill zucchini for 2–3 minutes per side until grill marks appear and zucchini is tender. Let cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, grilled zucchini, parsley, mint, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese if using.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use a grill pan if you don’t have an outdoor grill.
- Make it vegan by omitting the feta cheese.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
