Mediterranean quinoa bowl hummus olives (Printable)

Bright quinoa bowl layered with crisp vegetables, creamy hummus, and tangy olives for a wholesome meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1 cup baby spinach or arugula
07 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Toppings

08 - 1 cup hummus
09 - 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
10 - 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

→ Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.
02 - Halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber, thinly slice red onion, and chop parsley while quinoa cooks.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
04 - Divide quinoa among four bowls. Top each with spinach or arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, Kalamata olives, and optional feta cheese.
05 - Spoon a generous mound of hummus onto each bowl and drizzle with the dressing.
06 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to two days for later consumption.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour cooking but really you just chopped vegetables while quinoa simmered.
  • Every bite has a different texture, crunchy cucumbers, creamy hummus, briny olives, and it never gets boring.
  • You can pack it for lunch and it actually tastes better after the flavors mingle in the fridge overnight.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa or you'll end up with a bowl that tastes faintly bitter and soapy, a mistake I made exactly once before learning my lesson.
  • If you're making this ahead, keep the dressing separate until you're ready to eat so the vegetables stay crisp instead of getting soggy and sad.
  • Let the quinoa cool for at least five minutes before assembling or it will wilt the greens and turn the whole bowl lukewarm and limp.
03 -
  • Toast the quinoa in the dry saucepan for two minutes before adding water to bring out a nutty depth that makes it taste almost like it's been roasted.
  • If your hummus is too thick to drizzle, stir in a tablespoon of warm water or olive oil until it loosens into a silky, pourable consistency.
  • Freeze leftover cooked quinoa in single serving portions so you can pull one out and thaw it in the fridge overnight for an even faster assembly next time.

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