Quinoa, Cucumber, Feta & Lemon-Olive Oil Salad (No onion or garlic)
By the QuiteRecipes team (Jamy & Kaïna) | Food Service Professional, Early Childhood Expert & Parents
A quick low-FODMAP salad of fluffy quinoa, peeled cucumber, portioned feta, and lemon-olive oil dressing, with no onion or garlic anywhere.
This is the salad I make when nobody can believe a low-FODMAP meal can be this simple: fluffy quinoa, peeled cucumber, creamy feta, and a lemon-olive oil dressing that does all the talking. There is no onion, no garlic, no hidden allium anywhere, and peeling the cucumber quietly removes most of the polyols that bother sensitive guts. It comes together faster than delivery and improves the whole afternoon.
🥄 Ingredients
- 🫗 1/2 cup (90g) dry quinoa, rinsed
- 🫗 1/2 English cucumber (about 200g), peeled and diced
- 🫗 80g feta cheese, crumbled (about 40g per serving)
- 🫗 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 🫗 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 🫗 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 🫗 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 🫗 Salt and black pepper
Nutrition Facts*
*Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients, brands and portion sizes. Values are provided per serving.
👨🍳 Instructions
Cook the quinoa in 1 cup (250ml) of water with a pinch of salt for 12–15 minutes, until the little tails unfurl. Fluff and cool for 10 minutes.
Peel the cucumber, dice it, and pat it dry — waterlogged cucumber floods the dressing.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper in the bottom of a large bowl.
Fold the quinoa, cucumber, half the feta, and the mint into the dressing.
Scatter the remaining feta over the top and serve.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- ✕
Skipping the peel because it looks prettier striped; this batch exists for a sensitive gut.
- ✕
Drowning the salad in lemon — the acidity should brighten, not mask.
- ✕
Doubling the feta "because it's the best part"; the portion exists for a reason.
🔄 Variations
Add firm tofu or grilled chicken for more protein.
Swap the mint for dill or flat-leaf parsley for a different green note.
Stir in a few cherry tomatoes (about 30g per person) once you're in maintenance.
🧊 Storage
- 📦
Keeps 1 day in the fridge; the cucumber softens, so dress-when-eating is the smarter route for leftovers.
- 📦
Undressed quinoa and feta keep 3 days separately.
💡 Chef Tips
Tip 1: Peeling the cucumber is the gut-safety move — the fermentable load in cucumber concentrates in the skin.
Tip 2: Rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear; that washes off the bitter saponin coating.
Tip 3: Feta lands at 40g per person, which is the comfortable low-FODMAP portion for this cheese.
Tip 4: Dress the quinoa before it fully cools so the grains take on the dressing evenly.
❓ FAQ
Is quinoa really low FODMAP? Yes — quinoa is low FODMAP at standard portions and brings useful fiber to the plate.
Why peel the cucumber? The skin is where the excess polyols concentrate; peeled cucumber is the low-FODMAP version.
Is feta allowed? At about 40g per serving, yes — and it's naturally lower in lactose than fresh curd cheeses.
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About the Authors
This recipe and guide was developed, tested, and approved in our home kitchen and daily life. Jamy is a retired Food Service District Manager and Early Childhood Program Manager who spent his career overseeing multi-site restaurant operations, large-scale culinary production, and daycare menu management. Kaïna brings the ultimate real-world test: making sure it brings ease and joy to our kids on a busy weeknight.
Read more about our professional background and philosophy →