Mediterranean Chopped Salad
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This Mediterranean Chopped Salad is not only insanely delicious, it’s picture perfect for serving company. Start with a bed of chopped greens and add all the Greek flavors, including fresh veggies, olives, chickpeas, and crumbled feta cheese!
For other delicious salads, try my Italian Chopped Salad, a Kale and Quinoa Salad, or this Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad!
Chopped Salad
You know it’s summertime when new salads start hitting the blog! I actually crave fresh greens, which is a good thing, right? But they do take a little planning to get them prepped and eaten before the ingredients go limp in the refrigerator!
THIS chopped salad hits all the right notes. Fresh, healthy, tangy, crunchy, and let’s not forget pretty! We eat with our eyes first which is why I like to “play with my food” to get it just right before eating it.
All the pops of color spell FRESH! I’m all about a giant bowl of greens, and this chopped salad is often times a complete meal for me.
My hubby? He’d prefer it along a side of smoked pork butt, spatchcock chicken, or a some cedar plank salmon!
Ingredient Notes:
- Lettuce Greens – Use any crunchy lettuce you prefer. For this batch, I used romaine green lettuce. Bagged lettuce is ok, but I never find it to be as crunchy as using whole heads of lettuce.
- Fresh Veggies – A combo of cherry tomatoes, red onion, and English cucumbers.
- Olives – Any kind of olives works, including green, red, or Kalamata.
- Chickpeas – My personal favorite canned bean! Just rinse and drain.
- Banana Peppers – These add delicious flavor, especially if you add some with a little heat.
- Dressing – A simple combo of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, and seasonings. Homemade dressings are ALWAYS best!
How to make Mediterranean Chopped Salad:
Step 1
Make the dressing. In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to mix.
Step 2
Chop veggies. Clean and chop the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Thinly slice the red onion.
Step 3
Drain canned goods. Drain the liquids off the chickpeas, olives, and banana peppers.
Step 4
Assemble salad. Spread the lettuce out on a large tray. Top with the remaining toppings, including the feta cheese.
Step 5
Add dressing. If serving a larger group, add the dressing to the large salad. If serving a smaller group (and plan to have leftovers), then add the dressing to individual salads.
Main Dish Suggestions
You’ll want to pair this salad with a main dish of some kind. Or if you’re like me, add chicken to the salad! Here are some ideas for mains.
- Grilled Chicken Skewers – Perfect for summer grilling weather!
- Turkey Meatloaf Muffins – A spin on the classic meatloaf recipe, and delicious!
- Pasta – Try my Skinny Fettuccini Alfredo, a Classic Chicken Parmesan, or The Ultimate Lasagna Recipe!
Recipe FAQs
Greek Food IS Mediterranean food, while not all Mediterranean Food is Greek. This is due to their geographical regions. The Mediterranean encompasses Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and others.
THIS dish is both Mediterranean and Greek!
Generally, chopped salads are healthy IF you use a combo of fresh veggies and minimal processed toppings. Be wary of your dressings too and try to make homemade versions so you can control the sugar.
This will stay fresh for a couple of days. Adding toppings to salads can add wetness to them, causing them to get a bit soggy. Always wait to add dressings if you are meal prepping salads.
xoxo ~Sue
Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the chopped salad:
- 12-16 cups romaine lettuce – chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion – thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
- 1 1/2 cup cucumbers – chopped
- 15 oz. chickpeas – rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup banana peppers – sliced
- 1 cup olives (any kind) – chopped
- 1 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to mix.
- Chop veggies. Clean and chop the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Thinly slice the red onion.
- Drain canned goods. Drain the liquids off the olives, and banana peppers. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
- Assemble salad. Spread the lettuce out on a large tray. Top with the remaining toppings, including the feta cheese.
- Add dressing. If serving a larger group, add the dressing to the large salad. If serving a smaller group (and plan to have leftovers), then add the dressing to individual salads.
- Store leftover salad and dressing in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Best to eat it before the salad wilts!
Made it for my friends who are very picky about healthy food and ingredients! It was a hit. Served it with steaks. Great dinner option. The dressing and chickpeas make the salad unique.
I wish I could post the picture.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Lusine! I appreciate you!
I love to eat this with the Cedar Plank Salmon!
It’s a great pairing!