Woden Mead

Zesty Quinoa Salad with Citrus Blush Mead Dressing

Bright, fresh, and citrus-led.

This vibrant quinoa salad is built around freshness. Woden Citrus Blush Mead brings a bright citrus edge to the dressing, lifting the herbs, vegetables, and grains without weighing the dish down. It is light enough for warmer days, but still feels considered enough to serve as part of a proper lunch or dinner spread.

Serves4
Prep15 mins
Cook15 mins
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 red pepper, diced
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta, optional

For the Citrus Blush dressing

  • 60ml Woden Citrus Blush Mead
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Salt and black pepper

To serve

  • Extra herbs, optional
  • A little more feta, optional
  • Lemon wedges, optional

Featured Mead

Woden Citrus Blush Mead bottle

Woden Citrus Blush Mead

Bright, fresh, and lightly honeyed, Citrus Blush brings a clean citrus lift to dressings and lighter dishes without overpowering the rest of the plate.

Shop Citrus Blush Mead

From bowl to fork

Zesty quinoa salad with Citrus Blush Mead dressing
Prep
  • Rinse the quinoa well under cold water.
  • Halve the cherry tomatoes and dice the cucumber and red pepper.
  • Finely chop the red onion, parsley, and mint.
  • Measure out the dressing ingredients so everything is ready once the quinoa has cooled.
Cook
  • Add the quinoa and water or vegetable stock to a saucepan.
  • Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low heat and cover.
  • Simmer for around 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
  • Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
  • Fluff with a fork and spread out slightly to cool.
Assemble
  • In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the Citrus Blush Mead, olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, parsley, and mint.
  • Pour over the dressing and toss well.
  • Add the feta if using, then serve chilled or at room temperature.
Close-up of quinoa salad on a fork

Serving Notes

This salad works well on its own as a lighter lunch, but also sits easily beside grilled fish, chicken, or simple roasted vegetables. It is at its best when the quinoa has cooled fully and the dressing has had a few minutes to work through the grains.

Pair With

A chilled glass of Woden Citrus Blush Mead works naturally here, picking up the citrus notes in the dressing and keeping the whole dish feeling bright and fresh.

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