📖 Instructions

1. First, let's get those zucchini noodles ready. If you're using a spiralizer, this should be a breeze. If you don't have one, no worries—a vegetable peeler will work, too! Just create long, thin ribbons from your zucchini. If you're a bit clumsy like I can be, you might need to make a few attempts before you get those perfect ribbons. Don't stress about imperfections, though. It adds to the home-cooked charm, right?.
2. Next, let's cook the quinoa. Bring about 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in your large pot. Once boiling, add 1 cup of quinoa, give it a good stir and then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is nice and fluffy. Fluff it with a fork after it's cooked—we want to avoid any mushy quinoa clumps.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, chop up all those lovely Mediterranean veggies: cucumber, tomatoes, red onion. Make them nice and small, so they're easy to mix in with the noodles and quinoa. Roughly chop the fresh herbs – parsley, mint, and dill. I sometimes add extra mint because I love it so much. But really, it's your salad, you do you!
4. Once the quinoa is done and your veggies are prepped, let's make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed. I always add a pinch more salt than the recipe suggests, as it really brings out the flavours of the Mediterranean herbs.
5. Now for the fun part! Add the cooked quinoa and chopped veggies to the large bowl with the dressing. Toss everything together gently, making sure every piece of quinoa and veggie is coated in that glorious lemon-garlic dressing. This is a really great time to get those zucchini noodles into the mix. Be careful to not over-mix them as you want to avoid making them too soft.
6. Finally, gently toss in your fresh herbs, making sure everything's well combined and then you're ready to serve. Garnish with an extra lemon wedge and maybe a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for those who like a little kick. Enjoy your delicious and healthy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Zucchini Noodles!