Serves a Crowd

Orange Quinoa Salad with Almonds, Olives, and Feta

by:
February  6, 2011
4
4 Ratings
Orange Quinoa Salad with Almonds, Olives, and Feta
  • Serves 6 as a side dish
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

Test Kitchen Notes

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

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • The Quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 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
Directions
  1. The Quinoa
  2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.
  3. Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly with water.
  4. Add quinoa to pot with onions. Add water and salt.
  5. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer.
  6. Cook 15 minutes or so until the water is absorbed.
  7. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool.
  1. Putting it Together
  2. Toss cooled quinoa mixture and remaining ingredients together.
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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  • The Expatresse
    The Expatresse
  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • drbabs
    drbabs
  • Midge
    Midge
  • My Pantry Shelf
    My Pantry Shelf
My Pantry Shelf
The bounty of each season is worth celebrating! Most of the meals I cook for my hungry family of four are based on whatever is fresh and bountiful in our yard or what we can glean from the yards of our friends and neighbors. The seasonal food we have in surplus goes into the canning jars. Even busy families can find time for fresh, homemade foods.

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10 Reviews

Louisa B.
Louisa B. March 28, 2021
Loved the flavor combination but I felt like the quinoa/water ratio was off. It is usually a cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. Here all of the water absorbed before the quinoa was cooked. I ended up cooking a second batch of quinoa. I also thought it was a bit dry and added a drizzle of olive oil and juice of half an orange.
 
Anna H.
Anna H. June 11, 2012
This is wonderful - I made it for lunches this week and just had my first serving - delicious!
 
The E.
The E. February 27, 2012
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.
 
theatrelover
theatrelover February 19, 2012
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.
 
AnnP
AnnP April 14, 2011
Loved this! We added left over grilled chicken the next day for lunch for a great leftover meal. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames February 17, 2011
This makes my mouth water just to read this recipe. I'm so looking forward to testing it!! ;o)
 
My P.
My P. February 18, 2011
Enjoy, Antonia! Let me know how it turns out!
 
drbabs
drbabs February 7, 2011
wow
 
Midge
Midge February 7, 2011
This sounds great!
 
My P.
My P. February 9, 2011
It is very tasty. I'm making it for dinner AGAIN tonight!