Recipe: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 10 ounces (about 1 cup) fresh spinach
  • 3 small tomatoes, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/2 cup Feta cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. In medium pan, put 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover, leaving to cook for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly.
  3. In a large bowl, mix cubed eggplant with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and oregano. Spread the chopped eggplant over the lightly greased baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes until eggplant softens. Midway through roasting, take out the sheet and flip the cubes using a spatula so that they will roast evenly.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, adding the spinach and 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly, until spinach wilts. Set spinach aside.
  5. Using the same skillet, heat chopped tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until the tomatoes begin to sizzle. Put into bowl with spinach.
  6. Once eggplant is done, remove it immediately from the baking sheet and mix it with the spinach and tomatoes. Immediately add the quinoa and second clove of garlic. Mix together, then add the Feta cheese and mix further. 
  7. Drizzle mixture with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. 
  8. Enjoy!
LifestyleEmily Byrskifood, recipe, vegetarianComment