Flavorful Mediterranean Quinoa ready in under 30 minutes and bursting with the flavors of roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and kalamata olives. Vegan and Gluten-Free too!
Note: If you like vegan quinoa dishes then check out my vegan category with over 100 recipes, such as:
Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there! Unfortunately I’m halfway around the world (in Slovenia) and can’t be with my mom today, but for all of you out there spending the day together make sure to give your mom a big hug and a kiss.
Oh and whip them up a delicious meal as the ultimate way to say thanks aka this vegan Mediterranean quinoa recipe!
A surprise meal for mom doesn’t need to be super complicated or difficult to make. This simple vegan Mediterranean quinoa is just bursting with flavors of roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives.
Let’s talk olives. Love them or hate them?
I love them. Like can’t get enough of them. Like need a plateful of olives to accompany every glass of wine. I’ve been spoiled with olives of Spain and Italy that I’ve forgotten about my favorite olives of all time – the Greek Kalamata olive.
This is the supreme olive for me. It is just so good. Not too strong either. You know how olives can sometimes be overpowering and simply overwhelm your taste buds? None of that with the Kalamata.
This is the olive to introduce to olive haters. You might just have to change your mind after you get a taste of a high quality Kalamata. Literally after traveling to Greece on vacation in 2011 for lunch every day at work I would eat a Greek salad loaded up with Kalamata olives. I ate about a dozen of them every single day for weeks. Until of course, I had had enough and needed to switch to a different olive, but now time has passed, so I’m back with my favorite Kalamata!
And we all love roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts right?
Yum.
Mix all that together with the cooked quinoa and you’re done, your vegan Mediterranean quinoa is ready!
I love when I can prep all the ingredients while the quinoa is cooking and then mix everything together for a full meal. Technically this doesn’t even need a dressing because you can just drizzle a bit of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes over the quinoa and that oil should be fully infused with herbs and that rich sun-dried tomato flavor.
So for a quick meal to surprise your mom this Sunday Mother’s Day mix up a bowl of this Mediterranean quinoa! Vegan and gluten free.
Let me know what you this of this recipe in the comments below!
- 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package directions
- 3/4 cup roasted red peppers thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup artichoke hearts thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes thinly sliced
- squeeze of lemon juice
- handful of fresh basil slivered
- 15 kalamata olives pit removed and quartered
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- salt/pepper to taste
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Cook quinoa according to package directions.
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Slice the rest of the ingredients and mix together in a large bowl.
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Add cooked quinoa and mix until combined. Serve hot or cold.
Danae @ Recipe Runner says
What a beautiful and delicious salad! I’m with you on the olive love, can’t get enough of them and Mediterranean flavors are my favorite. Pinned!
Vicky says
Thanks! Seriously can’t get enough olives! Heading to Greece in a couple weeks and will hopefully be eating them by the cupful over there : ) Thanks for pinning!
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
I’ve made something similar but I did not use artichoke hearts. What a FANTASTIC idea. Now I am going to have to pick up some artichokes and make some quinoa so I can enjoy this recipe soon. Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Mondays. Pinned!
Vicky says
Thanks for stopping by Julie! I loooove artichoke hearts and try to sneak them into lots of recipes! They fit in perfectly here : ))
Deborah Davis says
I just hopped by to visit your blog from Mostly Homemade Mondays! I am a big fan of quinoa so your colorful dish immediately caught my attention. I love the inclusion of kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes and roasted red peppers so I can’t wait to try this recipe. All the best, Deborah
Vicky says
Thanks for stopping by! I too absolutely love quinoa and always try to exepriment with different flavor combinations and ingredients.
Robyn @ simply fresh dinners says
Hi Vicky,
Love the flavours in this dish and love quinoa! I was thinking of mixing Mediterranean flavours with scallops for my next dish. This is fantastic. So glad to find your beautiful blog. Visiting from Wednesday Roundup. Have a great day!
Vicky says
Thanks for stopping by! I too absolutely love quinoa and just can’t get enough! Would love to hear about your scallops with Mediterranean flavors when you make it : ))
Pure Grace Farms says
Stopping by from the Wednesday Roundup to pin your beautiful quinoa dish. Kalamata olives are my favorite! Blessings…Shari
Vicky says
Thanks for stopping by! Aren’t Kalamata the best? Heading to Greece in a couple weeks so can’t wait to really eat as many as possible!!
Raquel says
I love finding new and different quinoa recipes, looks amazing! 🙂
Vicky says
THanks! I love quinoa and am always looking for new recipe ideas : )
Kelli @ The Sustainable Couple says
Thanks for sharing on Mostly Homemade Mondays. I can’t wait to see what you link up tomorrow!
Kelli @ The Sustainable Couple
Miz Helen says
Hi Vicky,
I can’t wait to try this amazing bowl of goodness. We will just love your Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa, I will be making this one for my Vegan Granddaughters. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe with Full Plate Thursday and have a great week!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
This sounds so light and filling! Just perfect for summer! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂
Its live now!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
Vicky says
Thanks for sharing on your pinterest board and for tweeting : ))