Mediterranean Cucumber and Yogurt Salad With Red or Black Quinoa

By Martha Rose Shulman

Mediterranean Cucumber and Yogurt Salad With Red or Black Quinoa
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(85)
Comments
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The idea of embellishing a yogurt soup or salad with quinoa comes from Deborah Madison, who uses black quinoa in a brilliant recipe for a soup in her book “Vegetable Literacy.” I used red quinoa to add texture, color and substance to this typical Mediterranean combination – finely diced cucumber, garlic, and thick plain yogurt. Use mint or dill, or a combination, and make sure to dice the cucumber very small.

Featured in: 50 Ways to Love Your Quinoa

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4
  • 2 to 2½cups finely diced cucumber (use a seedless variety such as a long hothouse cucumber, a Japanese cucumber or Persian cucumbers)
  • Salt
  • 1½ to 2cups plain Greek yogurt or drained yogurt (to taste)
  • 1 to 2garlic cloves (to taste), cut in half, green shoots removed, and mashed to a paste in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt
  • 1 to 2tablespoons (to taste) chopped fresh dill or mint
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1cup cooked red or black quinoa
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

278 calories; 9 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 533 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Toss cucumber with a generous amount of salt and leave in a colander in the sink to sweat for 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels (rinse first if the cucumber tastes very salty).

  2. Step 2

    Spoon yogurt into a salad bowl and mix with garlic. Stir in cucumber. Add freshly ground pepper (I like a generous amount), taste and adjust salt. Sprinkle dill or mint on top.

  3. Step 3

    Spoon quinoa over salad and serve, or divide salad among 4 bowls or plates and top each serving with ¼ cup quinoa.

Ratings

4 out of 5
85 user ratings
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Comments

bluetomatoes

Not really tasty, tbh.

Dolce

I added garlic powder & thyme to the quinoa while it cooked for some more flavor. I also added a whole garlic bulb, even though I was making the recipe for one. I finished with a drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil & it was delicious! Perfect for a hot summer day.

sam

This is a common side dish in eastern Mediterranean (Syria, Lebanon). But without the quinoa (which is a great idea) Very tasty and refreshing in the summer. The yogurt has to be super consistent and smooth with a little bit of water but bit too watery. Try sparkly water too!

Jack K

I made a variation of this without quinoa as a side for falafel (from another nyt recipe). I added 4 cloves of garlic instead of 1-2. It was very good.

Dolce

I added garlic powder & thyme to the quinoa while it cooked for some more flavor. I also added a whole garlic bulb, even though I was making the recipe for one. I finished with a drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil & it was delicious! Perfect for a hot summer day.

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