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Mediterranean Salad

5 from 18 votes
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posted: 01/23/22

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

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.

overhead view of Mediterranean salad in a bowl in a wooden bowl

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Toss the salad to combine and enjoy.
overhead of mediterranean cucumber salad broken up by ingredient

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 in a bowl

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

Is Mediterranean salad healthy?

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.

Is Mediterranean salad Keto friendly?

This salad as written, and without the chickpeas, would be considered Keto friendly.

What dressing goes on Mediterranean salad?

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.

side view of a overhead view of Mediterranean salad recipe in a wooden bowl

Other Mediterranean Inspired Dishes

If you make this Mediterranean Salad recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.

overhead view of Mediterranean salad in a bowl in a wooden bowl
5 from 18 votes

Mediterranean Salad

Serves: 8 people
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
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.

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

Please note that the serving size indicated for this recipe is for a side dish. If you want to make this as a lunch, it will serve four people.
Serving: 0.85cups Calories: 125kcal (6%) Carbohydrates: 6g (2%) Protein: 4g (8%) Fat: 10g (15%) Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) Monounsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 8mg (3%) Sodium: 246mg (11%) Potassium: 135mg (4%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 2g (2%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
overhead view of Mediterranean salad in a bowl in a wooden bowl

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Mediterranean Salad

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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  1. Margaret says

    Can’t wait to try ur Mediterranean salads!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I hope you love it!

  2. Robin Hale Garland says

    5 stars
    I ate this salad so fast I forgot to take pictures! This was sooooo good! It was just the right balance of salt for me. Thank you for sharing!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  3. Sheila Johnstone says

    5 stars
    I make your Mediterranean salad so often-love it. ❤️ I’ve made it as a main dish for a luncheon and as a side salad for a church potluck. People who I didn’t think would like it, surprised me by asking for the recipe. It’s a BIG hit every time I serve it. I love to cook and experiment. Thank you sooo much 🙏

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad to hear this, Sheila!

  4. Camille says

    5 stars
    So delicious! Just made this tonight for the second time. We too ours with 100-year Balsamic vinegar and it’s divine! Perfect summer salad!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  5. Eve Park says

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!! I’ve made this so many times and it’s always a hit. It goes perfectly with any dish & adds a wonderful fresh flavor. ❤️❤️

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you like it Eve!

  6. Elena says

    5 stars
    Simple and delicious. Thank you!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you liked it, Elena!

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