Quinoa salad with feta

Quinoa salad with feta: fresh cucumber, pomegranate, parsley, mint and authentic Greek sheep's cheese with lemon and olive oil.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 15 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 340 kcal per serving
• Protein: 12 g
• Fat: 15 g
• Carbs: 42 g

Ingredients

• 150 g tricolour or white quinoa
• ½ cucumber
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ pomegranate, seeds only
• 100 g sheep's cheese
• Sea salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Black pepper
• Parsley (plenty of it)
• Mint (plenty of it)

Method

You’ll need: chopping board · knife · mixing bowl · sieve

1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve under cold water. Cook it in lightly salted water until it's soft and has absorbed the liquid.
2. Fluff up the cooked quinoa with a fork and leave it to cool completely. That way the salad stays light and doesn't turn mushy.
3. Dice the cucumber small and crumble the sheep's cheese. Finely chop the parsley and mint, and remove the pomegranate seeds.
4. Mix the cooled quinoa with the cucumber, pomegranate, parsley, mint and sheep's cheese in a large bowl.
5. Pour over the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper and mix everything gently.
6. Serve the salad straight away or leave it to infuse briefly in the fridge. Before serving, round it off again with lemon, pepper and fresh herbs if needed.

Good to know

A salad like this tastes like a lot of effort, but it's pleasantly uncomplicated. Fresh, salty, herby and just right when you want something light that still fills you up.

Swaps

Sheep's cheese → cottage cheese (more protein, a little milder) | Quinoa → buckwheat (more fibre, gluten-free) | Pomegranate → blueberries (also contain polyphenols) | Sheep's cheese → chickpeas (more fibre, plant-based protein)

Allergens

Contains milk from the sheep's cheese. Usually well suited to children if the cheese is made from pasteurised milk, and the same applies during pregnancy – cheese made from raw milk should be avoided.

Frequently asked questions

What nutrients are in quinoa?

Quinoa provides complex carbohydrates, fibre and plant protein. It also contains minerals such as magnesium, iron, manganese and some zinc.

What makes authentic Greek sheep's cheese interesting nutritionally?

Sheep's cheese contains protein, calcium and vitamin B12. It's also quite salty, which adds a lot of flavour but isn't ideal for everyone.

Is pomegranate just decoration, or does it matter nutritionally?

Pomegranate brings fibre and polyphenols. In the salad, the seeds mainly add juicy, sweet-sour bursts of flavour. They add colour.

Why are parsley and mint more than just fresh herbs?

Parsley contains vitamin K and some vitamin C, while mint provides essential oils and small amounts of antioxidant plant compounds. The amounts in the salad matter for flavour; nutritionally, they're more of an extra.

Is this salad a good choice if you react sensitively to dairy products?

That depends on how you personally react: sheep's cheese contains milk components and usually some lactose, though often less than fresh dairy products. If you react strongly, keep that in mind.