How do you keep Greek salad from getting soggy?

5 genius ways to keep your salads from getting soggy Avoid adding salt too soon. ... Leave it undressed. ... Remove excess moisture from high-water-content fruits and vegetables. ... Let your hot ingredients cool completely before adding them to the mix. ... The order in which you build a salad is key. Apr 19, 2023

Why is my Greek salad watery?

As I mentioned before, cucumbers are a water vegetable, and when used in salads, they give off a lot of water . The best way to avoid a soggy, wet Greek Feta and Cucumber Salad is to sweat your cucumbers first.

Is it OK to eat Greek salad everyday?

It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and iron. It also contains ingredients full of phytonutrients and antioxidants, such as oil and onion, which reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. We suggest adding this low-fat superfood to your everyday diet!

How do you keep cucumber salad from getting soggy?

The solution: The standard recommendation for ridding watery vegetable such as cucumbers of unwanted moisture is to salt them . The salt draws out the liquid from the vegetable because of the natural tendency of salt water solutions to equalize when mixed together.

How do you keep cucumbers crisp in cucumber salad?

If you want to keep cucumber slices in the fridge but are finding that they become soggy and lose their freshness too often, then try infusing them in lemon and salt . Both lemon and salt work together to keep cucumbers firm for a longer time!

Why is Greek salad so healthy?

Greek salad is brimming with antioxidants like lycopene from tomatoes, polyphenols from olives, and vitamin C from bell peppers . These compounds combat free radicals, reducing the risk of chronic diseases and supporting youthful skin.

How do you keep Greek salad fresh in the fridge?

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge . They will last for up to 3 days. If you plan on making Greek salad ahead, keep in mind the vinaigrette will have a very light pickling effect on the veggies. It's a flavor that I love!

Does Greek salad get soggy?

Store Ingredients Separately: To prevent sogginess, keep ingredients separated until you're ready to eat . Store chopped veggies, greens, and protein sources (e.g., grilled chicken, tofu) in separate airtight containers or resealable bags. Assemble the salad just before serving.

How do restaurants keep their salads so crisp?

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge .

Cookin' Canuck - Quinoa Greek Salad Recipe w/ Tomato, Cucumber & Feta (2024)

Published: Jun 12, 2013 · Modified: Mar 30, 2021 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 40 Comments

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Quinoa Greek Salad Recipe with Tomatoes, Cucumber & Feta

Isn't there some saying about the lazy days of summer? I must be doing something wrong because my summertime groove isn't grooving yet. Each day, an overwhelming urge to nap hits at about 4pm. This is typically on the heels of supervising playdates, driving the kids to various activities, setting up sprinklers and supersoaker wars and...oh yeah...working. It seems I'm not quite in the swing of whole "lazy day" thing and I need another week or so until I get my summertime groove back.

Keeping up with this new pace of life means that easy lunch and dinner recipes are even more necessary than ever. This quinoa salad, with the flavors of a traditional Greek salad, comes together quickly and can be served as a side dish or a full meal. If you want to serve it as the main course, add some chickpeas or cannellini beans for a hit of protein.

If you want to make mealtime prep even faster, use some of that quinoa that you have stored away in your freezer. What? No ziploc bags of quinoa in your freezer? Believe me, this is a time-saver that you don't want to miss.

You remember this photo that I slaved over for my post on How to: Freeze Quinoa, right? Yeah, one of my crazier moments.

How to: Freeze Quinoa

This recipe requires about 3 cups of cooked quinoa. Gently stir in halved grape tomatoes, cubed cucumbers, feta cheese and Kalamata olives, then toss with a simple dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano.

That's it. Done.

Now you have some extra time to enjoy those "lazy" summer days.

The recipe:

In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.

Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Let it cool to room temperature.

Transfer the quinoa to a medium-sized bowl and add the tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta cheese. Stir gently to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and stir to combine. Serve.

Other summer salad recipes:

Printable Recipe

Quinoa Greek Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber & Feta Cheese

Quinoa Greek Salad Recipe with Tomatoes, Cucumber & Feta

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Cups (Approximately)

Calories: 213.5kcal

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
1 cup quartered cucumber rounds
¼ cup quartered kalamata olives
¼ cup feta cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Let it cool to room temperature.
Transfer the quinoa to a medium-sized bowl and add the tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta cheese. Stir gently to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and stir to combine. Serve.

Notes

WW (Old Points) 5 / WW (Points+) 6

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

More Salads

Maple Pear and Goat Cheese Salad
Sweet Potato Arugula Salad
Superfood Salad with Miso Dressing

Reader Interactions

Comments

Jeannette
February 22, 2022 at 1:50 pm

This is very good, thank you. I’m eating it in February! I plan on making it many times. I think it would taste good next to grilled chicken breasts. This will be made and taken to our church picnic in August, as well as various potlucks.
Reply
- Dara
  February 23, 2022 at 9:02 am
  That's so great to hear, Jeanette!
  Reply
Jean Miksch
September 07, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Great summer recipe. I added fresh lime juice, as I like the acid addition and it freshens up the taste.
Reply
See Also
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Thighs - Salu Salo Recipes
Lola(Services Optometriques)
June 04, 2015 at 11:07 pm
Pinned! looks so yummy and delish 🙂
Reply
Emily Lainas
October 17, 2014 at 4:36 am
Fantastic idea and execution of the recipe, the result was yummy! Thanks
Reply
Tammy
July 06, 2013 at 12:51 pm
I've been looking for a non-mayonnaise-y salad side dish for an upcoming dinner party and this looked great. I literally JUST made it and it's delicious! Can't wait to see how it tastes after a few hours in the fridge for the flavors to blend -- I think it will be even better. This looks like a regular addition to my salad options. Thanks!
Reply
- Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
  July 07, 2013 at 9:45 am
  Tammy, I'm so glad to hear that! I hope it was a hit at your dinner party.
  Reply
  - Tammy
    July 18, 2013 at 3:50 am
    Dara -- it was a HUGE hit -- even after I realized that I mistakenly used couscous instead of quinoa! Believe me, that works, too. We love it and have already made it twice.
    Reply
    - Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
      July 18, 2013 at 7:07 am
      Tammy, I'm so glad it turned out! And now I'll have to try it with couscous, too. 🙂
      Reply
Sarah
June 15, 2013 at 9:15 pm
Making it now for our Father's Day cookout tomorrow... it already looks delicious, and I can't wait to eat it! 🙂
Reply
Shawn @ I Wash You Dry
June 14, 2013 at 5:32 pm
We are still waiting for summer to begin up here in Canada! But oh, how I love the flavors of Greek, and I am certainly in love with Quinoa! What a great recipe!
Reply
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
June 14, 2013 at 1:58 pm
This is gorgeous, Dara! I love Greek meals and I'd love to make this!
Reply
Nutmeg Nanny
June 14, 2013 at 11:17 am
My favorite type of salad! I love all things greek 🙂
Reply
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
June 13, 2013 at 6:12 pm
I love the simplicity of this salad and it looks gorgeous.
Reply
addie | culicurious
June 13, 2013 at 5:11 am
i love any version of Greek salad and this one looks amazing! Love quinoa! 🙂
Reply
Megan {Country Cleaver}
June 12, 2013 at 10:08 pm
This totally puts me in the mood for a picnic Dara! Gorgeous.
Reply
Sommer @ ASpicyPerspective
June 12, 2013 at 8:41 pm
Love quinoa! This looks delicious!
Reply
sippitysup
June 12, 2013 at 6:40 pm
I bet you still cringe when you quinoa and tweezers in the same room. GREG
Reply
nessa
June 12, 2013 at 3:59 pm
I looove quinoa! This is a must-make!
Reply

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