Chopped Greek Salad with Crispy Quinoa
By Sammi Brondo — April 21, 2026
Greek salads are easily one of my favorite types of salad. 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!
Prep ingredients
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Bake cooked quinoa
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.
Top with quinoa
Add the crispy quinoa to the top of the salad and toss with dressing.
Add dressing and serve
Add the crispy quinoa to the top of the salad and toss with dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Lettuce: A crisp lettuce is best – like romaine or crispy green leaf.
- Cucumbers: I love mini Persian cucumbers. If you use English cucumbers, make sure to chop them small.
- Tomatoes: Both cherry and grape tomatoes are great in this recipe.
- Olives: Make sure to buy pitted kalamata olives so you don’t have to remove all of the pits!
- Feta: Try a feta in brine and crumble it yourself – it retains the most moisture and flavor.
- Pita chips: Any pita chips will do! Use your hands to break them apart and crumble them.
- Greek dressing: I used store-bought Greek dressing to make this salad as easy as possible. Any of your favorites will work!
- Add ons: Want to add more protein to this salad? Try adding a simple seared salmon, shrimp, or air fried chicken sausage.
- Make ahead: If you’re making this salad ahead of time, chop all the veggies in advance and prepare the crispy quinoa. When you’re ready to eat, throw everything together in a bowl with the dressing.
- 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
- romaine lettuce roughly chopped
- 2 mini cucumbers about 1 ½ cups, chopped
- 15-20 grape tomatoes about 1 cup, sliced in half
- ¼ red onion about ¼ cup, very thinly sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 10 kalamata olives about ½ cup, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup pita chips crushed
- 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 spread into an even layer. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cook in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until crispy. Let cool and set aside.
- While quinoa is cooking chop the vegetables and prepare the salad ingredients.
- Assemble the salads: add the lettuce, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion, feta cheese, olives, and pita chips. Top with crispy quinoa and toss with Greek dressing.
