Mediterranean Salad – WellPlated.com

Whether you serve it as a light meal or as a fresh side dish, this Mediterranean Salad is going to be a WIN. With salty feta, satisfying chickpeas, crisp veggies, and a zingy lemon vinaigrette, how could it not be?

A simple salad that’s swoon-worthy.

If you’re not usually the type to swoon over a salad, hear me out!

Perhaps you’ve been burned by one too many restaurant salads that amount to a pile of lettuce, a half-moon of dry cucumber, and two rock-hard croutons. Well, this Mediterranean salad flips the script and delivers more add-ins than greens for ALL the flavor, color, and, texture.

Or maybe your complaint is that salads aren’t very filling. Ba-bam! This one’s got chickpeas for protein and fiber, plus a generous helping of feta. You can totally make a meal out of it if you divide it into 2 servings.

Not a fan of gloppy store-bought dressings? The light lemon vinaigrette in this Mediterranean salad adds bright flavor that ties everything together without weighing the salad down.

This recipe is kind of a mashup between my Greek Salad and Chickpea Salad, adding chickpeas to the classic Greek salad equation, taking out the (polarizing!) Kalamata olives, and swapping the red wine vinaigrette for zippy lemon. Totally swoon-worthy.

Key Ingredients

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

• Red Onion. I like to use the leftovers to make this Pickled Red Onions Recipe, which is excellent on tacos and burgers!
• Greens. You can use peppery arugula, or spinach or mixed greens for a milder flavor.
• Chickpeas. Rinse and drain these well.
• English Cucumber. English cukes have fewer seeds than garden cucumbers. You can also use Persian cucumbers or if you want to use a garden (AKA “regular”) cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulpy seeds in the middle.
• Tomatoes. I use grape or cherry tomatoes, which don’t release as much liquid into the salad as diced tomatoes. They also taste better out-of-season, so you can make this salad year-round.
• Red Bell Pepper. Yellow or orange also work; they have a similar mild, sweet flavor.
• Feta Cheese. Crumbled feta adds a creamy element to this Mediterranean salad when combined with the dressing.
• Lemon Vinaigrette. This Lemon Vinaigrette is a great addition to any salad!

Recipe Variations

• Use Another Vinaigrette. A red wine vinaigrette (like the one in my Italian Chopped Salad) would also work well in this salad.
• Add Olives. Sliced canned black olives or Kalamata for some extra briny flavor.
• Omit the Feta. Add shaved Parmesan instead or leave the cheese out for a vegan Mediterranean salad.
• Give It Some Crunch. Crumble pita chips into the salad to add some crunch and texture. Alternatively, you can replace the canned chickpeas with Air Fryer Chickpeas.