These peppers have all the Greek flavors you love. Roasted red peppers stuffed with a quinoa salad made with salty feta, briny, smoky kalamata olives, and crunchy cucumbers with a red wine vinaigrette.
It is still too hot to cook here in Arizona, so I've been making a lot of salads and trying new flavors. But you can make this salad any time of the year. It's not just a summer salad, though it is super to make when peppers are in season. In our house, we love the flavors that are in a Greek salad. We love kalamata olives and feta cheese, and Greek vinaigrette made with red wine vinegar and oregano. So, I got to thinking about a salad that I could put all of those ingredients together, but differently.
I enjoy quinoa, but it isn't favored by all. I think people either have had it, and it was mushy, or it was just flavorless. If you don't season it, it pretty much is flavorless. There are two things you can do to give quinoa a little taste improvement. You can cook the quinoa in either a broth or a low-sugar juice, such as apple. The other way is to dress it with a dressing or vinaigrette. Quinoa can get soggy from overcooking it or adding too much dressing. So, be gentle with your pour or spooning of the vinaigrette. If you aren't a fan of quinoa yet, I hope you try this and some of my other quinoa recipes.
This salad can be a meal in its self if you use larger peppers. If you use smaller peppers, then this makes a great side dish to grilled chicken or fish. I thought about adding capers, but my husband doesn't like them. I think they would be a great addition to the quinoa salad. Capers are salty, so remember not to add too many.
Until next time, friends! XO
Greek-Style Quinoa Stuffed Pepper Salad
Serves 4 to 6
4 large red peppers, or 6 small
1 cup white quinoa
2 cups of water
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
3/4 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup light flavored olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Zest of 1/2 a medium-sized lemon
Grill or broil peppers until charred. Place in a paper bag and allow to steam for about 15 minutes. When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off. Make a slit, lengthwise, in the pepper, and remove seeds and membrane. Set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk all the ingredients in a bowl for the vinaigrette. You can also use a jar with a tight-fitting lid to shake all the ingredients together. Set to the side.
Rinse quinoa with water in a strainer. In a small pot, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the quinoa and allow it to cool completely. To speed this up, add the quinoa to a metal bowl and place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Once cool, mix in the chopped olives, diced cucumber, and tomatoes. Add a couple of tablespoons of the vinaigrette to the quinoa salad and stuff the quinoa mixture inside prepared red peppers. Drizzle a bit more vinaigrette over each pepper. Top with crumbled feta cheese.
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