A few months ago in the dead of winter, Ana and I were both craving a big fresh Mediterranean style chopped salad with those Greek flavors we love: bright tomatoes, cucumbers, briny feta and kalamata olives, and vinaigrette made with really good olive oil. With the addition of quinoa and a dollop of hummus, I couldn’t think of a better plant-based lunch. But Ana wanted even more protein because she’s aiming to get 30 grams at every meal, so we decided to increase it easily by adding cooked chicken to the mix. The result is this beautiful and colorful chopped salad that hits the spot any time of the year.
Ingredient Spotlights
Colorful and delicious: The flavors and textures of this salad are so satisfying and every bite brings something new. This salad is bursting with variety, from the crisp crunch of the lettuce greens, bell pepper, and cucumber, to the tender and earthy quinoa, shredded chicken, and chickpeas to the briny and tangy vinaigrette, feta, and olives.
High in protein and fiber: A serving of this salad, which is 1 ⅔ cups, contains 29 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber, both of which help make this salad so satisfying. It also contains tons of good-for-me monounsaturated fats from the olive oil and olives, as well as nearly all the vitamins and minerals I need daily, including vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.
Stores well: Thanks to hearty ingredients, like quinoa, chickpeas, bell pepper, and cucumbers, this salad stores well for up to 3 days in the fridge. Divide it into meal prep containers for simple and healthy lunches to grab right out of the fridge.
Ingredient Spotlights
This isn’t the full list of ingredients – for those, scroll down to the recipe card. But rather, I wanted to share some of my notes about the key ingredients.
- Quinoa – I always start this salad by making the quinoa first. I simply cook it in water on the stovetop. I love the addition of quinoa in this salad because it contributes a nice texture and also great nutrition, including plant-based protein, fiber from a gluten-free grain, and minerals.
- Chicken breast – When I have leftover grilled chicken, stovetop chicken, or Instant Pot chicken for making my favorite chicken recipes, I like to set some aside for this salad. I know shopping for quality chicken can feel overwhelming, so I put together some tips to make buying chicken easier.
- Chickpeas – I keep a can of chickpeas in my cupboard because it makes such a good addition to salads like this one, this favorite chickpea skillet dinner, and even healthy chickpea snacks. Chickpeas provide fiber, plant-based protein, and important minerals, including calcium.
- Feta cheese – I always do a little extra digging at the store to find authentic feta cheese made from sheep’s milk, which is always worth it for me. I find that it has a better texture and that true Greek flavor I’m going for. Goat cheese or shaved parmesan are fine substitutions.
- Veggies – I use cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and fresh greens as the veggies in this salad, and I chop and slice them quickly with my food chopper. But this is a great recipe for using up almost any veggies you have in your fridge.
- Red wine vinaigrette – an oil-and-vinegar vinaigrette is the perfect light salad dressing to help make all of the natural flavors of the produce pop. It’s easy to make homemade red wine vinaigrette and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make this salad. In a pinch, use any purchased red wine vinaigrette or add more ingredients to
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Soak The Red Onion First
If you’re not a fan of raw red onion or think it overpowers a salad quickly, like it can, then use this simple soaking tip. Soak the thinly sliced red onion in a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes before adding it to the salad. That dissipates the sulfur in the onion, takes the sharp and bitter bite away, and doesn’t leave that strong aftertaste in your mouth.
Make It Dairy-Free
For a dairy-free salad (which is how Ana makes hers), simply omit the feta cheese.
Serve As A Hearty Main Or A Side
My favorite way to serve this Mediterranean chopped salad recipe is to portion it onto plates and top each serving with a big dollop of warm homemade hummus, a sprinkle of fresh mint, and some toasted almonds or crispy roasted chickpeas. Served like this, it’s a high-protein lunch or dinner salad that I never get bored with. I like to add a side of sourdough bread or pita wedges and maybe a glass of organic wine and transport myself, if only mentally, to a table side in the Greek Isles overlooking that astonishing blue water.
I’ve also served this salad at a potluck where it was devoured as a side dish salad. I should have printed out some recipe cards to take with me because so many of my friends wanted the recipe right away.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Store leftovers of the dressed salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The vinaigrette, alone, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both salads are based on popular flavors of the Mediterranean Isles where olive oil, lemon, and kalamata olives show up often in dishes. A Greek salad typically contains leafy green lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, olives, feta cheese, and a vinaigrette dressing. A Mediterranean chopped salad typically contains those ingredients, too, but often has other additions, such as chickpeas or other white beans.
Cooked brown rice or farro would make good substitutes for the quinoa.
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Chopped Mediterranean Salad Recipe
Think of this big fresh colorful recipe as a complete dinner in a salad bowl. The range of ingredients provides a good balance of nutrients, as well as delicious flavors and textures inspired by Mediterranean Greek cuisine.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 3 cups (12 ounces) roughly chopped spring mix greens, fresh spinach, or romaine lettuce
- 3 cups (16 ounces) shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa (from a scant ½ cup dry quinoa)
- 1 15-ounce can low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium orange or yellow pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- ½ small English cucumber, cut into half moons (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta, (omit for dairy-free)
- ¾ cup kalamata olives, halved
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
- Optional for serving: dollops of hummus, roasted chickpeas, and/or chopped fresh parsley or mint
For the Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons pure honey
- 1 garlic clove, minced (1 teaspoon)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the salad greens, cooked chicken, cooked quinoa, drained chickpeas, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, the 1 cup feta cheese, kalamata olives, and red onion.
- To a small bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the vinaigrette dressing ingredients (the ¼ cup olive oil through the black pepper). Whisk together or shake well.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
- If desired, top servings with dollops of hummus, roasted chickpeas, and/or fresh herbs.
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Notes
For dairy free, omit the feta cheese.
For vegan, omit the feta cheese and chicken.
A food chopper can be a handy tool for making quick work of chopping the chicken, feta, and veggies.
May use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice in place of the red wine vinegar in the vinaigrette.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 2/3 cups
- Calories: 438
- Fat: 20 g
- (Sat Fat: 4 g)
- Sodium: 889 mg
- Carbohydrate: 38 g
- (Fiber: 9 g
- Sugar: 9 g)
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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Fresh and filling, this is a winner for days when it is too hot to cook (or eat). Love the protein boost. Delicious vinaigrette, although hubby stayed safe and used ranch. We were both very happy smooth dinner tonight!
Fantastic Miriam! Thanks for the 5-star review!