Greek Grilled Cauliflower and Vidalia Onion Quinoa Salad

Grilled cauliflower and Vidalia onion make great additions to this flavorful, Greek inspired quinoa salad. A healthy side dish or vegetarian main dish, you’ll want to make this one all summer!

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I’m pretty obsessed with grilling all the veggies right now. I have been loving experimenting with different veggies on the grill from this cauliflower to this grilled broccoli I made a couple of summers ago.

A few years ago, I picked up a simple little grilling basket/wok at Target. Since then, I’ve been grilling vegetables in it like crazy. I normally stick to peppers and onions or some kind of squash medley, but this grilled cauliflower is definitely one of my favorites.

Before throwing it on the grill I added sliced Vidalia onion to it and seasoned it up with some dried oregano, salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil. During this time I made sure I was preheating my grill basket. Preheating your grill basket is like preheating your wok on your stove, it ensures your vegetables will get a good char and stay a bit more crisp. I just started doing this recently and love the results.

We loved how the grilled cauliflower turned out!

Honestly, we could have eaten just as is. It was delicious and a side dish that I will definitely be making again. But since I had some leftover quinoa in the refrigerator begging to be turned into a salad, I went that route. Using up some odds and ends in the fridge, this Greek Grilled Cauliflower and Vidalia Onion Quinoa Salad recipe was born.

It was light, fresh but still substantial enough to stand as a vegetarian meal (I enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day!). We served it along some typical barbecue fare: grilled steaks, chicken sausages, corn, potatoes, a tomato and basil salad. It really worked well as part of our meal and would be a great addition to barbecue or picnic this summer.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Greek Grilled Cauliflower and Vidalia Onion Quinoa Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

For the grilled cauliflower:

• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 Vidalia onion, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• big pinch salt and pepper
• 1 lemon, halved

For the quinoa salad:

• 1 cup cooked and chilled quinoa
• 1/4 cup banana peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• 2 oz feta
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat grill basket on grill over medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, onion, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place into grill basket and cook for 15 minutes or until slightly softened and charred. Using tongs, toss from time to time to ensure even cooking. Once cauliflower and onion is done grilling, place back into bowl and squeeze fresh lemon juice over it.
3. To your grilled cauliflower and onion, add quinoa, banana peppers, olives, feta, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently toss until combined and taste for seasoning. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Love whole grain salads like I do? Check out these 12 Healthy Whole Grain Salad Recipes including farro, quinoa, wheat berries and brown rice!

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Salads on Pinterest.

In case you missed it, find more cauliflower recipes here!

More quinoa salads to enjoy this summer:

Cool Cucumber and Quinoa Salad Bowl

Nutty Quinoa, Spinach and Cranberry Salad

Toasted Garlicky Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm and Goat Cheese

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad | Foodiecrush

Kale Quinoa Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries & Feta | Rachel Cooks

Southwestern Quinoa Salad | A Dash of Sanity