Can I make quinoa salad in advance?

Name: Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 block extra firm tofu (, pressed & crumbled (*see note)); 1 1/2 cups quinoa (, uncooked); 1/2 cup red onion (, diced small (sub green onion)); 1 large cucumber (, diced); 12 oz jar roasted red pepper (, cut into short strips (sub 1 cup diced bell pepper)); 1/2 cup kalamata olives (, halved or sliced); 1/2 cup fresh basil (, chopped (sub mint)); 1/3 cup olive oil (, extra virgin); 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard ((sub yellow)); 1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup (, or preferred sweetener); 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 clove garlic (, minced); 1 teaspoon sea salt (, more to taste); Fresh-cracked pepper (, to taste); 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile pepper ((optional))

Yes, this will give it time to marinate and the flavors will pop even more. Just place it in the fridge for 1-2 hours and taste again before serving. If needed, add a few squeezes of lemon, and a splash of olive oil to moisten it up. I recommend keeping the vegan feta separate until ready to serve.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Dressing Ingredients

This dressing really brings out the flavors of the veggies and pulls everything together. Here's what you'll need and a few additional notes:

Dressing Base - consists of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice. I would stick to this combination, but you can alter the amount of each one to taste.

Dijon mustard - adds a pop of zing to the dish. You can use regular mustard too.

Maple syrup - agave is a great substitute, but you can use any sweetener you have on hand.

Seasonings - dried oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper

Garlic - fresh is best, but you can replace it with ¾ teaspoon of granulated garlic.

Salad Ingredients

The remaining ingredients are basic and easy to find at your local grocery store. Here's what you'll need:

Extra-firm tofu - this is used for the vegan feta, but you can skip this step if you find a store-bought variety. Violife and Follow Your Heart are both delish!

Quinoa - you can also use couscous, rice, barley or grain of choice.

Red Onion - for a milder flavor, you can use green onion instead.

Cucumber - you can use mostly any vegetable in its place such as jicama, zucchini, carrots, etc.

Jarred Roasted Pepper - you can roast your own (like I did in my roasted red pepper salad) or you can use raw peppers.

Kalamata Olives - you can us any variety of olives that you like. Capers are a nice replacement, too.

Fresh Basil - parsley or mint will work well here.

How to make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

First, you'll need to make the zesty dressing. Just whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until combined and adjust flavors to taste.

Now, you'll need to crumble the tofu (make sure it's pressed first). Lightly sprinkle it with salt and pour 1-2 tablespoons of dressing on top. Gently work it in with your fingers to coat. Let it marinate while you finish the rest.

Cook the quinoa, dice the onion and cucumber, cut the pepper into short strips, slice the olives, and chop the basil. Now you're ready to put it all together (let the quinoa cool first).

Add the quinoa, onion, cucumber, olives, pepper, and basil in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over everything and gently toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Top with the marinated tofu crumbles when you're ready to serve.

Quinoa Salad Success Tips

Here are some quick tips to ensure success:

I press the tofu and chop the veggies while the quinoa is cooking and it takes about 25-30 minutes to complete. To save time, you can press the tofu in the fridge overnight.

You can buy jarred roasted peppers that are pre-sliced to make things even easier. I buy these. Some of the strips may be a little long, so you might want to cut them in half.

The dressing might taste a little tangy or salty, but it will be spread over a lot of quinoa and veggies, so keep that in mind.

Add-In Ideas

This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is so easy to customize, so feel free to omit ingredients that you don't like, and add more of what you do.

You can add things like artichoke hearts, capers, pine nuts, chickpeas, kidney beans, peas, corn, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, mint, sliced almonds, dried fruit, vegan parmesan, and more.

If you're not into quinoa at all, but love the flavors of this recipe, you may like to try my Mediterranean Pasta Salad. It's just as tasty!