• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

    Left menu area

    Gourmande in the Kitchen

    A collection of whole food, seasonal recipes

    Right menu area

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Work with Me

September 6, 2011

Zucchini Quinoa Salad with Microgreens

Home » Recipes » Courses/Meal » Salads » Zucchini Quinoa Salad with Microgreens

  • Pin

Shredded zucchini, quinoa and microgreens are tossed together with creamy feta and pumpkin seeds in this simple but flavorful zucchini quinoa salad.

Zucchini Quinoa Salad with Microgreens in Ceramic Bowl

I found myself scrapping the last specks of green off the plate, chasing the delicate little stems around with my fork.  Not wanting to miss those evasive slender shoots, I coaxed them onto the tines with my fingers.  The vibrant greens wove through the pale fluffy curls of quinoa and salty chunks of feta, their sharp grassy flavor contrasting with the mild-mannered nutty seed.

Zucchini Quinoa Salad with Microgreens Tossed on Sheet Pan with Spoon

Surprisingly intense in flavor in an array of vibrant colors, microgreens are the smaller, younger version of salad greens and herbs.  Arugula, basil, cilantro and spinach are just a few of the various varieties of microgreens. Harvested young when only a few weeks old, these young seedlings are intense in both color and flavor. Unlike sprouts which are simply germinated seeds. grown in water and eaten whole, microgreens are grown in soil and cut at the root.

Like sprouts, however, and similar to their mature, leafy green cousins, microgreens are a good source vitamins, minerals and other beneficial phytonutrients. These wonderfully tender miniature greens got their culinary start in California.  Chefs and homecooks alike immediately took to the tiny greens.  Capitalizing on their access to fresh local produce, these grassy, spicy, earthy flavors soon became a staple of California cuisine.

Zucchini Quinoa Salad with Microgreens and Feta in Bowl on Napkin

Despite their inherent liveliness, microgreens are rarely the star of the show.  Rather, they play a strong supporting role; a humble jumble of greens as a garnish or a flavor accent, adding beauty and dimension to a dish. That’s exactly what they do here as they tumble together with shreds of raw zucchini, mild, nutty quinoa, and creamy feta.  The diminutive stems peak through, adding a lightness and bright clean flavor.

Fresh, nutty, creamy and satisfying, this is the kind of salad that highlights the best that Mother Nature has to offer.

Serves 4

Shredded Zucchini Quinoa and Microgreens Salad

Sylvie Shirazi

Shredded zucchini, quinoa and microgreens are tossed together with creamy feta and pumpkin seeds in this simple salad.

10 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

25 minTotal Time

Save RecipeSave Recipe
Print Recipe
My Recipes My Lists My Calendar

Ingredients

  • 500ml/ 2 cups water
  • 180g/ 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well, drained
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 medium zucchini, trimmed and shredded in a food processor or grated on a box grater
  • 50g/ ¼ cup black kalamata olives, finely chopped
  • 112g/ 4 ounces feta cheese, cubed
  • 15ml/ 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 30ml/ 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • A few handfuls of microgreens, washed and dried
  • 30g/ ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear and drain.
  2. Combine the drained quinoa with the 2 cups of water and salt in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until done.
  3. Take saucepan off of heat and set aside for 5 minutes with the lid on to steam and dry out the quinoa. Pour out into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
  4. Add the shredded zucchini, chopped black olives and feta to the quinoa.
  5. Whisk together the white wine vinegar and olive oil and pour over reserving some to toss with the microgreens.
  6. Toss microgreens with the remaining dressing and top the quinoa. Sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds.
  7. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed depending on how salty your feta cheese is.

Tags

Occasions
Summer
Courses
Salad
Diet
vegetarian
lacto vegetarian
pescetarian
Allergy
gluten free
egg free
soy free
wheat free
seafood free
treenut free
sesame free
mustard free

Nutrition

Calories

604 cal

Fat

42 g

Carbs

35 g

Protein

22 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
ESHA Logo
7.8.1.2
7524
https://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/zucchini-quinoa-salad-with-microgreens/
gourmandeinthekitchen.com

You might also like...

  • Chilled Zucchini Basil Soup (Paleo, Vegan)Chilled Zucchini Basil Soup (Paleo, Vegan)
  • Citrus and Herb Marinated Feta SkewersCitrus and Herb Marinated Feta Skewers
  • Lemony Green Bean Salad with Figs and FetaLemony Green Bean Salad with Figs and Feta
  • Quinoa Black Bean Roasted Bell PeppersQuinoa Black Bean Roasted Bell Peppers
  • Watermelon, Heirloom Tomato and Feta SaladWatermelon, Heirloom Tomato and Feta Salad
  • Spinach, Watermelon and Zucchini Noodle SaladSpinach, Watermelon and Zucchini Noodle Salad
  • Ricotta, Herb Frittata with FetaRicotta, Herb Frittata with Feta
  • Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Sautéed Zucchini and Asparagus (Paleo, Vegan)Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Sautéed Zucchini and Asparagus (Paleo, Vegan)
Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.

Filed Under: Courses/Meal, Diets, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Salads, Savory Tagged With: feta, microgreens, ollves, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, zucchini

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

Never miss a recipe again, get the latest recipes sent directly to your inbox!

Reader Interactions


Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe: ☆☆☆☆☆

  1. Jackie @ marin mama cooks says

    December 14, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    I saw this post and I was salivating so I went out to Whole Foods today and picked up all the ingredients. I am going to make this for my lunch tomorrow. Can't wait :) Your photos are spectacular!
    Reply
  2. David from SaladPride says

    December 2, 2011 at 2:20 pm

    love this! love this!!
    Reply
  3. Janet says

    November 28, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    I'm going to state the obvious so forgive me... Your photography is STUNNING! Honestly, in 7 years of blog surfing, your photos are by far the best I've ever seen! Fantastic work! Also, I love quinoa. I was introduced to it through a meal plan for a cleanse I went on with CLEAN and have not stopped eating it since. It's made for micro-greens and zucchini and cucumbers! Add a little feta and oh, my! I love it!
    Reply
« Older Comments

Trackbacks

  1. Peasier than it Sounds: Local Box Meal Plan | Eating Out of the Local Box says:
    September 4, 2012 at 12:57 pm
    [...] flavor punch for such a tender little green. I’ll be folding my microgreens into this summery zucchini quinoa salad for a tasty bowl of complete protein goodness with tangy [...]
    Reply
  2. Salad Social Linky Party | TidyMom says:
    May 1, 2012 at 10:40 am
    [...] Zucchini Quinoa Salad | Maple Poppyseed Dressing | Curried Chicken Salad Wraps | Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad | Cannellini and Tuna Salad | Spring Orzo Pasta Salad | Spinach and Endamame Salad | Nanny’s Potato Salad | Black Bean Mexican Salad [...]
    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Fast, Fresh, Feel Good Food

Here you'll find fresh, feel good food made fast with recipes that don’t skimp on satisfaction. Everything you see is free from gluten and processed ingredients with many paleo, vegan, raw and allergy-friendly options as well.

Get Started Here...

Search for Recipes...

As Seen On…

POPULAR NOW

Chocolate Gelato
Chocolate Peppermint French Silk Brownie Bars (Paleo, Vegan)
How to Make Fresh Mint Tea
Homemade Skin Cream | Healthy Homemade Series Part 1
Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Feta, Olives and Sundried Tomatoes
Pineapple Ginger Wellness Shots

FIND RECIPES

SEARCH BY TYPE

COPYRIGHT – PRIVACY POLICY – DISCLOSURES

Copyright/Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Disclosures

Copyright © 2021 Gourmande In The Kitchen · Implemented by WPopt

logo
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Work with Me