Mediterranean Salad

There is nothing but fresh flavors in this Mediterranean Salad. Crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and vibrant red onions, in a garlicky-herb vinaigrette. Finished with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to take it to a whole new level of deliciousness!

Such a few healthy ingredients can give you such maximum flavor! This is definitely one to make. The veggies are fresh and crisp which is so important in a salad because you are not 'borrowing' off other ingredients for taste and flavor. In other words, it's not a slow cook where the tomatoes and wine lend to the meat and veg so to speak. This is fresh and ready to go.

A salad is only as good as it's salad dressing right? I believe that the salad could be super simple and have very few ingredients, if the dressing is great, the overall salad will be great too.

Either way you are sure to get the most from this salad and talking of which when I made this Chickpea Salad the only dressing used was fresh lemon, salt and pepper. That combination is sadly undervalued. Lemon and salt are made for each other. Ah I just had a memory of my Dad sitting under a lemon tree with me and we would take fresh lemons from the tree start peeling them and eat them right there just with salt. Oh yes, it still makes my mouth water :)!

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

So what goes into a Mediterranean salad exactly? Well, Mediterranean ingredients 🙂 There are some key ingredients that make it Mediterranean otherwise it's a Chickpea Salad.

Why We Love This Salad

• Easy: An easy salad that anyone can make and the ingredients are common pantry or fridge ingredients.
• Flavors: Big bold flavors and colors perfect for summer, picnics and barbecue/braai gatherings or any other large crowd get together.
• Convenient: Make ahead by doing all the prep and them simply assemble when needed.

Ingredients You Will Need

Please find the full recipe in the recipe card below.

Chickpeas - (garbanzo beans) packed with protein. Use fresh (soak overnight first) but canned is a just so much more convenient when making a salad. Again, as with the rest of the ingredients, quality is important. Rinse, drain and use.

Cumber - It's cucumber, use any. I didn't scoop the seeds out because a) we were serving it immediately and b) I wanted the whole cucumber😀

Olives and Feta- Remember when I spoke about typical Mediterranean ingredients? This is those key ingredients so don't leave them out. What about bell peppers?  Hold your horses...

Kalamata olives are lovely in this salad and the feta cheese needs no introduction. Here's the thing however, feta cheese in the salad dressing is exactly what takes it over the top in terms of flavor!

Red Bell Pepper - Now, you can use yellow, green or red or all three for an even more colorful salad however, the reason that I went with red:

• sweet
• crunchy
• juicier

Left out the green bell pepper because I wanted to keep the flavors balanced and green is like raw veg whereas the red is almost like a fruity taste and well the yellow is just milder. So depending on what you like. I hope the above can help.

Red Onion and Fresh Parsley - Again sweet than green onion so the crunch is a great texture. If you like you can soak your onion in water while you do your prep for the other ingredients it helps alleviate the onion bite. Where oh where would I be without parsley? I love the stuff! This is me to the shop assistant when there's no parsley: Why? How? When will you have? It's good to know that I've since planted my own 🙂

How To Make An Everyday Mediterranean Salad

Prep the vegetables: Clean, drain, chop and slice the ingredients.

Combine: Add all the salad ingredients (except the cheese) to a large bowl and gently toss to them evenly.

Cheese: Add the feta cheese and gently fold it in.

Season: Salt, pepper and the salad dressing, toss lightly making sure the salad dressing has coated the all the ingredients.

Finishing Touches: Taste, adjust and serve fresh, enjoy!

How Long Will a Mediterranean Salad Last In The Fridge?

Like all salads, it's best eaten fresh, however, this salad is great up to 2 days when you can still feel the textures of the ingredients. After that, it can still be eaten, but the quality of the ingredients will not be the same.

Tips To Extend The Freshness

Make smaller portions! This is something that I've struggled with most of my life because I come from a large family and everything was always prepared in large quantities. Since blogging, I have learnt a lot! Make what you will use for that day. It's best to keep them wanting more whilst leaving room for dessert, chocolate or a digestive 🙂

Wash and Dry Well: Ensure vegetables are thoroughly washed and dried before storing to minimize moisture that can lead to spoilage. Invest in a salad spinner!

Pack Tightly: Pack the salad ingredients tightly in the container to minimize air exposure.

Whats The Difference Between a Mediterranean Salad and a Greek Salad?

The choice of the ingredients that are used. Let me break it down a little more:

Greek Salad: A traditional Greek salad (also known as Horiatiki salata) has specific ingredients in it like tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives and feta cheese, a staple in Greek cuisine.

Mediterranean Salad: A Mediterranean Salad is much broader since it covers salads reflecting the cuisines along all of the Mediterranean region, which includes countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. This allows you to add ingredients like a variety of vegetables, cheeses, and proteins that represent the Mediterranean flavors. That's why I have suggested in this post, ingredients like artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, or grilled chicken.

What To Serve With Mediterranean Salad

This salad is the best of both worlds! It's satisfying all it's own and you can also serve it as a superb side dish! Here are some ways in which I serve this salad:

• If there's a family barbecue (braai) it's a great combination with braai meat and fills up the plate with all the colors of the rainbow putting everyone in a good mood! It's real thing, fresh, good food full of colors, makes people happy 🙂

• Whenever we have a lamb roast, chicken roast or some family get together, this one of our go to salads along with potato salad.

• Add some grilled or rotisserie chicken and serve it with with warmed wraps and any dip of your choice. I have some great dip ideas for you if you need some inspiration.

• And not just wraps, serve it on the side of an awesome chicken and avocado sandwich,

Make Ahead and Storage

Do all the prep of rinsing, draining and chopping and then store everthing in an airtight container in the fridge. Make the salad dressing, sealed in a mason jar with a tight lid and refrigerate. Note, any vegetable that you think may lose liquid or moisture like the cucumber, store seperately. This salad will stay fresh, regrigerated for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.

Variations

Greens: Add some greens like arugula, romaine lettuce, or a mix of greens is always lovely.

Veggies: Add more vegetables and the farmers market is at your disposal so in other words, whatever you like and think will go with this salad. Zucchini and artichoke hearts to keep it more Mediterranean are good choices.

Cheese & Olives: Different cheeses create different taste and textures so try different ones like goat cheese, blue cheese, parmesan cubed or shaved instead of grated. Kalamata or black olives are great in this salad.

Protein: Adding a protein to this mediterranean salad is always another idea. Something like grilled chicken, shrimp, chickpeas, or crumbled tofu or quinoa instead of lettuce.

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More Great Salad Recipes

• Bok Choy Fennel Salad
• Grilled Peaches And Prosciutto Salad
• Pesto Pasta and Chicken Cold Salad
• Berries Prosciutto And Cheese Salad
• Potato Salad

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I hope that you love this salad, make it and enjoy it with your family because it really is amazing! If you love it, love the idea of making it, give me a 5-star review and comment below.