This Mediterranean Salad comes together with just a handful of ingredients for an easy chopped vegetable salad. This great salad recipe works as a side dish but also makes a great full meal.
If you are looking to eat healthier this year, you can’t beat this Mediterranean Salad. Made with chopped vegetables, olives, cheese, and the simplest light dressing, this dish makes a great lunch or dinner side dish.
How to Make Mediterranean Salad
- Chop the vegetables. I like this recipe best with my cucumbers unpeeled, my red onions sliced thin, and the tomatoes and cucumbers in 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add in kalamata olives and cubes of feta cheese. While this does call for a block of feta cheese cubed, you could also use crumbled. I just like the look of the blocks.
- Dress the salad. This salad has a really simple dressing that can be made right over the vegetables. Sprinkle the ingredients with red wine vinegar, olive oil, Greek oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the salad to combine and enjoy.
Red Wine Vinegar
Half the dressing in this recipe is made from Red Wine Vinegar. Red Wine Vinegar is a really common ingredient in Mediterranean cooking. As the name implies it’s base ingredient is red wine. Despite that, because the wine is turned into vinegar and is acidic, it contains almost no alcohol.
Like many vinegars, it is very acidic on it’s own. But when you balance it with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper, it is perfection.
Greek Oregano
In the United States most often we purchase oregano under the generic name, “Oregano” and don’t really give it a second though. But, truthfully, oregano from different regions holds very different tastes. The taste in oregano from Mexico can have notes of citrus and be just a hint sweeter. Alternatively, oregano from Greece is more earthy in flavor.
In this recipe, I am calling for Greek Oregano as this is a Mediterranean salad recipe. It is what will make this recipe most authentic. That being said, if you can’t find Greek oregano, go with what is in your pantry. It will also be delicious.
Variations for this Mediterranean Salad Recipe
- Make it a Mediterranean pasta salad. To stretch this into a whole meal, add in half a pound of bow tie pasta. Taste it, and adjust seasonings. You may choose to double the dressing.
- Make it a Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. To make this a filling lunch add in a can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed.
- Make it a simple Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. Toss this salad with 2 cups of cooked quinoa to make a low carb meal. As with the pasta variation, you may want to double the dressing.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
My favorite variation by far is adding in garbanzo beans. They are such a natural fit with the rest of the ingredients. A 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, can be tossed in with the vegetables. There is no need to change any of the other ingredients. This will add in 385 calories, 70 grams of carbs, and 18 grams of protein. It will also stretch this from four lunches to six.
Storing Leftovers
This Mediterranean cucumber salad is best when eaten right after it is made. That being said, it will still be delicious as left overs. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Please note that the longer it sits the more the vegetables will soften and break down. This is fine from a food safety perspective, but you might not enjoy it as much. Tastes do vary, so it might turn out you enjoy it more.
FAQ
This is always a hard question to answer because the definition of health varies so much from person to person. That being said, there is something to be said for the Mediterranean diet. It involves lots of vegetables, healthy fats, and eating in moderation. That is a lot of what you see here.
This salad as written, and without the chickpeas, would be considered Keto friendly.
Though I love my Greek Salad dressing, it’s not an authentic recipe, it’s meant to mimic the Greek Salad dressings sold in the United States. Traditionally a Mediterranean salad dressing is just red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper, which is what we are using here.
Other Mediterranean Inspired Dishes
- My Greek Quinoa Salad is filling and great for making ahead.
- This Greek Pasta Salad is perfect for serving a crowd.
- You will love the seasonings on this Greek Salad with Chicken.
If you make this Mediterranean Salad recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.
Mediterranean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber cut into 1/2 inch half moons
- 4 Roma tomatoes cut in half and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 red onion cut into thin slices
- 1 cup kalamata olives pitted and cut in half
- 4 ounces feta cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (learn more about red wine vingar here)
- 1 teaspoon Greek oregano (learn about Greek oregano here)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- dash freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and feta in a large bowl.
- Season with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Toss to combine and serve.
Notes
Anna says
Where did you buy this beautiful bowl in the photo?
Target! But, unfortunately, it was many years ago.
Lorie B says
This salad was so good! My kids loved it, which is a big win. I served it with homemade falafel so the freshness of the salad provided a lovely balance. I’m still thinking about it and just told my daughter that I find myself craving it again today.
OMG, your kids ate it! Day. Made.
Irene Roach says
I love all your recipes! I use them all the time ! Thanks for sharing!!
I’m so glad to hear that! This type of comment always makes my day.
Darlene Furlong says
I can’t wait to have the salads sounds so good and healthy!
I hope you love them!
Terri Kiesel says
You suggested a variation by adding garbanzo beans, and I recently had a similar salad but I believe the beans were roasted. Any suggestions how to to this? Thanks for the recipe and I can’t wait to try it.
When you roast chickpeas, they become really crunchy. If that is what you are going for, have at it! I have a recipe here: Roasted Chickpeas. I personally wouldn’t enjoy that in this salad at all. I think the creamy texture of the beans lends perfectly to this salad.
Pam says
Can this salad be made the day before?
I like it best when it is freshly made, but leftovers are still delicious. So it is more of a personal call.
Randy Pelotte says
Made this for a cookout in 5 hours. Shod I add the dressing now or wait to add just before serving?
I’m a bit late in answering this, but either will work. I like this salad best right after it is made, but leftovers are great too.
Dave says
I first had this salad while in Armenia. I loved it but couldnt find a recipe that matched all of the flavors. This is the one! ! ! I will make this often.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Linda says
Can you use a bottle dressing
Of course, but I think you’ll find that this super simple dressing is really perfect with these flavors.
Elizabeth says
I just had a question. Do you prefer fresh or dried oregano in the salad? TIA.
I always use dried.