Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear—this removes the bitter saponin coating and ensures a cleaner taste. In a medium pot, bring 4.5 cups of water to a boil, add the rinsed quinoa, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender with visible germs. While the quinoa cooks, dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces, halve the grape tomatoes, mince the garlic cloves, and finely chop the fresh dill. Mince the red onion and crumble the feta cheese. Once the quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork and set aside to cool slightly.

Grate the 1/2 cucumber directly over a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, then squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible—this prevents the sauce from becoming watery and diluting the flavors. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, squeezed grated cucumber, minced garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and well combined. I like to taste the sauce at this point and adjust the lemon juice or salt to your preference, as these components really shine in a cold sauce where flavors can taste muted. Set the sauce aside.

Divide the cooked quinoa from Step 1 evenly among serving bowls. Top each bowl with the diced cucumber, halved grape tomatoes, minced red onion, and crumbled feta cheese from Step 1. Scatter the halved Kalamata olives over each bowl. Pour the yogurt-dill sauce from Step 2 generously over each bowl, allowing it to coat the quinoa and vegetables. I always let the bowl sit for a minute before eating so the sauce can start to be absorbed and the flavors meld together.