Chopped Greek Salad with Crispy Quinoa
By Sammi Brondo — July 25, 2024
Greek salads are easily my favorite salads. And have you tried crispy quinoa yet? It’s so delicious.
I love a good Greek salad. I grew up eating them allll the time.
Although, looking back, they were probably more Greek-inspired than traditional Greek, so let’s go with that.
Where I grew up in Michigan, you pretty much couldn’t turn a corner without seeing a Greek restaurant. Greek salads were a staple.
This one reminds me of the ones I used to love then: it has cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, feta cheese, kalamata olives and crunchy pita chips.
But, to elevate it even more, I added crispy quinoa.
You may have seen crispy quinoa on TikTok or Instagram. I first saw it on @justinesnack’s page and WOW it’s so good.
Add it to salads or on top of a grain bowl. It’s such a fun way to make quinoa and adds the most delicious crunch.
Plus, the quinoa is a fun way to add protein to this salad too. All in, this salad makes a great meal on its own, with plenty of veggies, carbs, protein, fat and fiber.
If you feel like it though, try adding some grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp on top. Any of those would be delicious too!
Bake the cooked quinoa
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the cooked quinoa onto the baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and spread into an even layer.
Cook quinoa in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until crispy. Let cool and set aside.
Prep the salad
While quinoa is cooking prepare your salad ingredients: chop the cucumber, red onions, halve the tomatoes and olives and crack the pita chips and crumble the feta.
Assemble the salad
Add the lettuce, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion, feta cheese, olives, and pita chips.
Top with crispy quinoa
Add the crispy quinoa to the top of the salad and toss with dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make ahead: If you’re making this salad ahead of time, chop all the veggies in advance and prepare the crispy quinoa. Then, when you’re ready to eat, throw everything together in a bowl with the dressing.
- Greek dressing: I used store-bought Greek dressing to make this salad as easy as possible. Any of your favorites will work!
- Storage: Store crispy quinoa in an airtight container at room temperature. It will last up to 1 week.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 container romaine lettuce
- 2 mini cucumbers – about 1 ½ cups chopped
- 15-20 grape tomatoes – about 1 cup sliced in half
- ¼ red onion – about ¼ cup diced
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 10 kalamata olives – about ½ cup sliced in half
- ¾ cup pita chips crushed
- ¼ cup Greek dressing of choice
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cooked quinoa onto the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and spread into an even layer. Cook in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until crispy. Let cool and set aside.
- Prep the salad. While quinoa is cooking prepare your salad ingredients: chop the cucumber, red onions, halve the tomatoes and olives and crack the pita chips and crumble the feta.
- Assemble the salad: add the lettuce, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion, feta cheese, olives, and pita chips.
- Add the crispy quinoa and toss with dressing. Serve immediately.
