Name: Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 200 g (1 cup) quinoa, rinsed; 1 cucumber, diced; 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 red onion, diced; 100 g feta, crumbled; 50 g (1/3 cup) pine nuts, toasted; Handful fresh parsley and mint, chopped; 3 tbsp olive oil; Juice of 1 lemon; Salt and pepper, to taste

Quinoa Salad sits in our salad collection for warm evenings, BBQ sides, and desk lunches that still feel fresh. We keep the voice practical — what to buy, what heat to use, and how to tell when it is done. Serves 4 with about 15 mins prep and 15 mins cook time (around 30 mins total). That is a home estimate — ovens and pans vary, so use colour and texture as well as the clock. Key building blocks: quinoa, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. If you need a substitute, change one thing at a time and expect the texture notes below to matter more than the timer. Good for warm evenings, BBQ sides, and desk lunches that still feel fresh. Double for a crowd; keep dressing separate until the last minute. Keep Australian cup measures (250 ml) so the ratios match what we tested on the page. Method opens with: “Cook quinoa in 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) water until fluffy, about 15 minutes. Cool.”. Follow the order as written; jumping ahead is how pans crowd and sauces split.

Notes

Putting it together for Quinoa Salad: work clean, taste as you go, and do not rush browning or reduction steps if they appear in the method. If you are cooking for mixed diets, plate sauces and toppings separately where practical. Keep this page bookmarked if it becomes a household regular — we update wording when cooks report a confusing step. Metric consistency across Scoops & Dishes means once you trust the cups and scales here, breakfast through dessert behaves the same way.
Shopping and mise en place: read the full ingredient list once before you start. For Quinoa Salad, quinoa and cucumber are the items that decide whether the dish tastes flat or properly seasoned. Weigh where grams are given — volume cups are fine for liquids and some dry goods, but baking ratios are tighter if you use scales. Australian cups are 250 ml; a tablespoon is 20 ml and a teaspoon is 5 ml.
Make-ahead and leftovers: double for a crowd; keep dressing separate until the last minute. Leftovers of Quinoa Salad keep best undressed where possible; eat within 1–2 days and expect softer veg. Label freezer bags with the dish name and date. Allergens sit in the ingredient list — always double-check if cooking for guests.
Before the heat goes on, line up quinoa, cucumber and cherry tomatoes and anything perishable from the list. Soften butter, bring eggs off the fridge if the method needs them room-temp, and preheat so you are not waiting mid-recipe. For a salad cook of this size (4), a clear bench saves more time than any gadget.