Orange Quinoa Salad with Almonds, Olives, and Feta
Author Notes: Orange Quinoa Salad with Almonds, Olives, and Feta features Satsuma Mandarins with both the diced fruit and zest being tossed throughout. The sweet-tart citrus pairs nicely with the salty olive and the nutty almond. The feta adds a bit of tangy creaminess. I last served this dish with grilled chicken and a big green salad. Enjoy. - My Pantry Shelf —My Pantry Shelf
Food52 Review: This light, brightly flavored grain-based salad was a huge hit at our house. As he was tucking into his third serving, my husband Mr. T declared, “Wow, this is so good. I could eat a lot of this.” (At that point, he already had. He couldn't stop raving about it.) The zingy olives, refreshing—and very pretty—orange segments, tart feta and chopped parsley play off each other beautifully, while the almonds add a nice contrast in texture. My Pantry Shelf’s method for cooking the quinoa yields fluffy, separate grains, making it just perfect for this salad. I can easily see substituting tomatoes for the oranges when the seasons change. Very nicely done!! —AntoniaJames
Serves 6 as a side dish
The Quinoa
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup onion, minced
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.
- Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly with water.
- Add quinoa to pot with onions. Add water and salt.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook 15 minutes or so until the water is absorbed.
- Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool.
Putting it Together
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- zest from one satsuma mandarin
- 3 satsuma mandarin oranges, peeled, segmented, and diced
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped
- Toss cooled quinoa mixture and remaining ingredients together.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Quinoa Recipe
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Citrus Recipe
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Dirt Cheap Dinner
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe with Citrus & Olives
More Great Recipes: Side Dishes|Salads|Rice & Grains|Quinoa
over 4 years ago Anna H
This is wonderful - I made it for lunches this week and just had my first serving - delicious!
over 4 years ago The Expatresse
I do something similar with beets, feta, chickpeas, almonds, and pomegranate seeds. Oranges would be good in that, too. Like Mr. T, I can't stop eating it.
over 4 years ago theatrelover
Very good. Lasts for a while, I ate throughout the entire week. Quinoa is a very hearty grain though, so I could only eat it in small portions.
over 5 years ago AnnP
Loved this! We added left over grilled chicken the next day for lunch for a great leftover meal. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
over 5 years ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
This makes my mouth water just to read this recipe. I'm so looking forward to testing it!! ;o)
over 5 years ago My Pantry Shelf
Enjoy, Antonia! Let me know how it turns out!
over 5 years ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
wow
over 5 years ago Midge
This sounds great!
over 5 years ago My Pantry Shelf
It is very tasty. I'm making it for dinner AGAIN tonight!