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Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

Name: Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Fried Olives
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup Chosen Foods Avocado Oil; 1/2 large lemon, juiced; 2 garlic cloves, grated; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground pepper; 1 cup cooked quinoa; 1 cup chickpeas (marinated in some of the dressing); 1 cup baby tomatoes, chopped in half; 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped; 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped; 2 hardboiled eggs, sliced; 1/2 red onion, sliced thin; 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped; 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped; 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped; 1 cup chopped cucumbers; 1 cup crumbled feta cheese; 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped; 18 pitted green olives; 1/4 cup feta cheese pieces, cut into small pieces from a block of cheese (about 1 inch long pieces); 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour; 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 2 tbsp corn starch; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 cup sparkling water (plus more as needed to reach desired consistency - about 1 tbsp at a time)

Last Updated: August 9, 2023

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Prep

20 minutes

Cook

20 minutes

Yield

4 -6

This quinoa bowl recipe with fried olives is the perfect healthy, easy lunch to prep for your busy week.

This easy quinoa bowl with olives and fresh herbs is everything this Mediterranean gal loves. This dish is a great one to prep for an easy, quick dinner or healthy lunch. It’s also entirely customizable.

Why you’ll love this quinoa bowl recipe:

Quick: Make this quinoa bowl recipe in only 35 minutes
Customize It: Swap out the veggies for whatever you have on hand, change the chickpeas to black beans, add in whatever fresh herbs you’re trying to use up, and make this your own

Ingredient Notes:

Avocado Oil: I love to use avocado oil in my dressings and cooking. It has a high smoke point and is full of healthy fat right from avocadoes. Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil is always my go-to, trusted brand.

Olives: What is actually so amazing in this quinoa bowl is the fried olives. They are full of flavor and seriously necessary in this quinoa bowl recipe for an extra little something, something.

How to make a quinoa bowl:

Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a bowl and whisk OR add to a jar with a lid and shake well.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place 1 cup on a bowl with 2 tbsp of the dressing. Set aside.
To assemble the salad, in a large bowl or on a large platter, layer the cooked quinoa and then the other ingredients side by side (baby tomatoes, peppers, hardboiled egg, red onion, herbs, cucumbers, feta, artichoke hearts) – LEAVE SPACE FOR OLIVES.
Now to make olives: Slice feta cheese into smaller pieces, about 1 inch in length, to fit into olives. Take one piece of feta cheese per olive and gently stuff the olive. Repeat until all olives are stuffed.
Toss olives in 3 tbsp flour and set aside.
Next, make the batter. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Then whisk in the sparkling water until just combined and the consistency is like pancake batter. Add more water as needed if too thick.
Add the avocado oil to a medium pot or high-sided pan, about 1 ½ – 2 inches and heat over medium heat. You’ll know when the oil is hot enough if you dip the back of a wooden spoon in the oil and it sizzles OR drop in a pinch of batter and see it sizzle.
While the oil is heating, place a plate lined with a paper towel aside for cooked olives.
Drop a few olives in the batter and remove with a fork one at a time, shaking off excess batter before carefully dropping the olives into the hot oil.
Fry for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and rotate about halfway through to ensure golden brown colour all around the olive. If you find the olives are getting too dark in colour, turn the heat down a bit. Fry in batches until all olives are completed and let olives rest on a paper towel lined plate when done.
Add the olives to the salad, drizzle over the dressing and enjoy!

Expert Tips & FAQ:

What to put in a quinoa bowl? There are so many options for what you can put in a quinoa bowl. Add your fav veggies and protein, and top with your favorite dressing for a savory bowl, or make a sweet bowl by mixing in cinnamon, fruit, and/or yogurt.

How to make a quinoa bowl: Make your quinoa, and then add it into a bowl with your other selected ingredients. Think of it as the lettuce in a salad.

What does quinoa pair well with? So much! You can make a savory bowl with veggies (cooked or raw), or you can make a sweet bowl with milk or yogurt, or fruit.

Is quinoa bowl cold or hot? A quinoa bowl can be either cold or hot! It depends on how you like it.

How many calories are in a quinoa bowl? This recipe is 656 calories, but this will vary depending on what you add into your quinoa bowl.

Grain: If you want to use a different grain instead of quinoa, try cooked brown rice or farro. Or, you could omit the grains totally and substitute them with arugula or chopped romaine lettuce.

Prep: Make the dressing in advance and cook the grains. Keep both separate and assemble with everything else when you’re ready to eat.

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