Loaded with fresh veggies and drizzled in a light homemade dressing, these tasty vegetarian Greek Quinoa Bowls make healthy eating a breeze!
Whenever I ask what recipes you’d like more of, healthy vegetarian eats is always the most popular response. I think it goes without saying that I’m super happy to oblige; that’s what this crazy little blog of mine is all about!
Many of the dishes I create can be paired alongside your favorite protein for those favoring the t-rex lifestyle or combined with even more veggie-centric eats for a vegetarian feast.
Is there something else you’d like to see more of while I’m at it? Let me know in the comments section, by email, or hit me up on social media. I’d love to pick your brain so I can custom fit my recipes to my awesome readers!
We found an amazing Mediterranean restaurant here in Pensacola recently called Hummus, and it’s the most delicious little hole in the wall! Paul and I were seriously swooning with every bite, excitedly planning our next visit before our meal was even halfway finished. A few days later, when I finally plowed through the remnants of the mountain of tabouleh and hummus I brought home, I was left missing them immensely.
I wanted more, and I didn’t want to leave the house to get it!
Greek Quinoa Bowls
This salad came together in under 15 minutes and was the perfect way to satisfy my craving for something gloriously Greek. It’s part salad, part side dish and is sure to be a regular in my home, and hopefully yours too! Let me know if you get a chance to try it!
Ready to make these uber easy greek quinoa bowls? Fabulous!
Here’s the recipe:
Greek Quinoa Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 TBSP fresh parsley
TASTY EXTRAS:
- Hummus
- Pita wedges
- Olives
- Fresh tomatoes
- Sliced or chopped avocado
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- First rinse and drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer or sieve.
- Bring a medium saucepan to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water. Stir as it toasts for just a few minutes. This step is optional but really adds to the nuttiness and fluff factor of the quinoa!
- Next add your water, set burner to high, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 12-13 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.
- While the quinoa cooks, chop and prep the remaining ingredients and whisk together your dressing ingredients.
- Snag your now-fluffy quinoa from the pot and give it a little fluff with a fork.
- For a chilled salad, you can pop the quinoa in the fridge for a few minutes prior to adding your veggies or simply let it cool on the countertop for a few minutes for a room temperature quinoa bowl. Totally up to you!
- For the super simple vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. How easy was that!? Pour over your quinoa bowl and toss with a pair of forks or salad servers and dig. on. in.
- Add any additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try these healthy Greek quinoa bowls, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
:: pin it for later ::
Greek Quinoa Bowls Tips + Tricks
- Always rinse your quinoa.
- Always.
- Take your avocado game to the next level with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. It amplifies the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness that is the all-powerful avocado.
- Feel free to add olives; just promise you’ll keep them away from me!
- When in season, toss in a few ripe + juicy cherry tomatoes too.
- You can use red or white wine vinegar in place of the ACV but ohmygooosh if you have a chance to pick up some apple cider vinegar (or already have it handy!) do it. It’s become a healthy and crucial part of my dressing game and I also love adding a shot of ACV to my kombucha tea for a little pre-breakfast detox action.
- Keep quinoa in regular rotation with a little meal prep magic! Cook up a large batch at the beginning of the week and refrigerate in an airtight container. Toss it into soups, chilis, salads, salads, and so much more for up to 4 days, then freeze the rest! Fast food FTW!
Time-Saving Tips:
Aiming to eat more salads and grain bowls? A little prep work can go a long way! Pick a day that works for you (some prefer the day they grocery shop + others like to stick to Sunday) and prep your veggies, grains, and greens. This can also be done for protein mix-ins too!
I chop and dry my lettuce twice a week (I adore my salad spinner!) and cook a cup or two of quinoa. The quinoa will keep for 4-5 days and any extras can be frozen for a later date for use in soups, chilis, and baked goods. You can also chop your cucumbers, peppers, and all your favorite veggies (bonus points for broccoli!) and store in airtight containers in your fridge.
Take things a step further by making this salad minus the oil, vinegar, and avocado and portioning it out into lunch-sized containers. When you’re ready to eat simply snag an avocado, dress the salad with oil and vinegar, and dig in!
Popular Recipes
- Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Spaghetti Squash
- Healthy Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls
- Blueberry Broccoli Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Ranch
- Easy Homemade Greek Dressing
Crazy for Quinoa?
Try my super-popular Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad next!
I added some chopped pickled beets a quarter avocado I had left from my avocado toast and a tablespoon of sliced almonds… must say it tastes divine. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!!
Laura
I found your recipe via the web and decided it looked terrific. I had to try it out immediately. The family loved it, and there was not one complaint. Thank goodness! Excellent instructions and tips that were easy to follow The recipe turned out fantastic. I will be saving this recipe to make again soon. Have an awesome day!
I am Looking forward to making more of your recipes soon.
Heidy
So so glad you loved the quinoa bowls, Heidy. Thank you!! For sure keep me posted if you try anything else. Love it!
This is just so pretty and vibrant and healthy too. My family will love this!
Thanks Amanda! xo
Lovely bowl, looks healthy, vibrant and so good. I’m going this make it for lunch tomorrow.
This Greek quinoa bowl is so gosh darn pretty! I love all the flavors in this and will be making it soon! Yum, I can’t wait!
I think I’ve made it like two dozen times easily… probably more! Cannot wait for you to try it!
I love anything with Greek flavours and this looks delicious. A great way to cook quinoa too.
Thanks Dannii!
These directions are not good. Obviously you can see how it’s supposed to look. But the directions don’t mention the veggies at all. And no notes on how to use the extras. It was a very good dish!
I am OBSESSED with this recipe!! I add in lots of extra veggies and add more ACV than olive oil, plus some crushed red pepper and a splash of lemon juice. It’s a recipe I come back to over and over! Thank you!!
I’m glad you’re loving the recipe Stacy! Thank you so much!
Hi! Made some Greek salad this evening and it was delicious 🙂
I used this recipe more as inspiration this time – cous cous instead of quinoa, red wine vinegar, added cucumber, tomatoes and a quarter of a red onion.
Thank you!
Sounds marvelous! Love me some cous cous!
Yum!! I was out of ACV so I used some basalmic vinegar that I had on hand & also added some green onions I needed to use up! So good and plenty for lunches for the week.
This is such a pretty and vibrant quinoa bowl! I’ll definitely be trying this recipe out soon!
So gorgeous and tasty! I’m always looking for new healthy side dish with tons of flavor! I brought this to a party and it was gone in a blink! Thank you!
Thank you Julie!
What a gorgeous salad! And with my favorite ingredient – quinoa! It’s got so much color and would make the perfect light lunch. I like the idea of pairing it with pita and a little hummus too. By the way, I did make it yesterday and it was yummmmmy!
So glad you’re loving the recipe Linda, thanks!
This looks absolutely delicious!
the picture and comment section has avocado but not the written recipe. Is there a step for it or do I just use slices?
Hey Susie! Slice and toss to your heart’s content! I make it differently each time simply depending on what veggies I have on hand so it’s super duper flexible based on availability!
Hey thanks so much! My husband and I went vegetarian for Lent and this is one of our favorite recipes! We added chick peas to make it stretch a little farther and add some extra protein.
Thank you Kaitlyn! 🙂 Yessssssss to the chickpeas! Perfection! Have you tried my Shawarma Chickpeas yet? They’re insanely awesome with this salad too!
I’m seriously obsessed with this salad. I make 2 different groups of 3 salads to have each week and I make this one at least every second week or so.
Emma I’m so thrilled to hear it! Honored you love the recipe! 🙂
Made this tonight with red bell pepper, tomato, and cucumber and parsley mixed into the quinoa. Tipped with your dressing and feta = so good! Gonna have to make a bigger batch next time
So glad you loved it Erin! Thanks!
This is SOOOO good! I made it for lunch for my mom and I and it is one of my new favorite recipes:)
I am so impressed with your website. I found it on a Pinterest posting. Your recipes are easy to print and I’m eager to start trying them. They look absolutely delicious and healthy. ….and you have a great sense of humor.
Thank you.
Thank you so much LaVerne! I hope you adore everything you try! 🙂
I think I’ll try this with chick-peas added! Maybe some cucumber slices on the side with yogurt… Yum!
Hi! So I always have a hard time with what side dish to put beside this dish for supper, that isn’t meat. Any ideas?
I looooove these with grilled veggie kebabs or as a side dish for vegetarian stuffed peppers! I can send some links your way if you’d like?
Sounds good! Thanks!
I love the sound of this recipe. I have never cooked with quinoa, and I’m excited to give it a go.
Thank you Nancie! I hope you *adore* it! Quinoa is such a fun grain to cook, I just love it!
Oh goodenss! I found this pin tonight and it looks so yummy. Then reading it I see you wrote about Pensacola. We lived there from 2010 until 2013. Now I live back in central California. I loved going to Jordan Valley by the mall.
Thanks Amber! Ohmygosh I LOVE Jordan Valley! We lived here back in 2008 and now are back for round 2! Living in Cali has been on my bucket list forever 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it ASAP!
Wishing I was having this for dinner tonight! Looks amazing!
I’ve made the mistake of not rinsing quinoa before. Classic rookie fail. I’m pretty sure there was sand or something in it lol
I think we’ve all been there 😉 There’s a natural defense mechanism in the form of a bitter coating on the quinoa. A simple rinse removes it and makes the quinoa taste so much better!
I love this kind of meal. I totally know what you mean about being inspired by restaurant meals. Hummus sounds amazing!
Thanks Katie! I’m already craving another bowl, it was SO good! <3
Hey, I’ll definitely need to try this! With IBS, I try to avoid onion and garlic. And I’ve tried Greek quinoa bowls with chicken, but I like the idea of cutting down on meat, for environmental reasons. Love your recipes–they always turn out super-flavorful!
Thank you Joyce! I’ve actually cut out garlic and onion recently too (I’m doing low FODMAP and whole30 as an elimination diet to find what foods are bothering me) so I’m happy to add more tummy-friendly recipes to the blog like this one! I recently heard you can sauté garlic in oil and then remove the garlic, leaving behind flavor-infused oil that’s super easy on the stomach – have you tried it out yet? I’m super curious to try it! <3
Yes, you can. I actually make my garlic-infused oil on an as-needed basis. The low-FODMAP diet has saved my life–that’s actually what I blog about! Hope it helps you too.
I’ll absolutely be reading through your blog when the nugget goes to bed – thank you so much Joyce! I’ve had severe issues since having GI surgery after my little one was born, and right now I’m at my wits end trying to sort out what I can and can’t eat. Thank goodness wine is on the “can” list because I’m going to need some to get through these changes 😉
I don’t know what it is about quinoa but it always tastes so refreshing to me! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Jenn 🙂