Delicious Mediterranean Salad Recipe: Fresh and Flavorful!
Mediterranean Salad is one of the most health-beneficial and tasty dishes that one can have from the Mediterranean food list. A beautiful and tasty-looking dish containing garden fresh vegetables, crushed cheese, and hot sauce, chicken pasta salad is ideal as a side dish. The Mediterranean Salad is best taken for lunch, as an accompaniment, or as a vegetarian dish for a summer barbecue beside the swimming pool.
Ingredients and Preparation For Mediterranean Salad
As it was already indicated, the Mediterranean Salad does not involve many ingredients and spices: it is all about taste sensation and the birth of a diverse and exotic flavor. The tomatoes are sweet with some of them being small but round cherry tomatoes with the cucumbers and the red onions giving a slight crunch. Kalamata olives give a nice spicy salty taste that complements the taste of the vegetables well, and crumbled feta cheese gives some creaminess and a bit of sharpness that is just appropriate for the vegetables. Adding more parsley and basil enhances the flavor of herbs to the recipe and the appearance of the Mediterranean Salad is appealing because of the different colors of ingredients.
The dressing may indeed, be one of the key elements that amalgamates into the contact surface of all the parts of the Mediterranean Salad. The dressing consists of extra Virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice necessary to be sharp and citrussy and be able to interact both with the vegetables and cheese. The conventional taste of longer standing is achieved with dried oregano together with minced garlic when incorporated in the preparation of the Mediterranean Salad. The dressing is also very easy to prepare and depending on your preference for the Mediterranean Salad, these can be prepared as you would like them to be prepared.
What can I say about Mediterranean Salad, they are very flexible meals that can suit everyday usage. Nevertheless, their ideas of the ideal ENDIVE, TOMATO, CUCUMBER, ONION, OLIVE, and FETA salad recipe remain consecutive, even though the principles of the genuine Greek kitchen might be adhered to when garnishing them. Some extras that may be added to tasty and useful the salad are the bell peppers, the artichokes, or the chickpeas. For those crunch lovers, who love a slice of chicken or chickpeas, the Mediterranean Salad can be transformed into a fuller meal by grilling the chicken or adding the chickpeas.
Taste is not the only consideration in the Mediterranean Salad since the dish is more about nutrition. This salad is a product of fresh vegetables, olive oil, and fresh herbs, thus qualifies for a balanced diet. It has considerably low-calorie content but possesses rich Vitamins, Minerals, and Necessary fats, which are aimed at Healthcare lovers. The Mediterranean Salad is also free from processed ingredients and is, therefore, safe for celiac sufferers As a result, this salad can be modified to suit different dietary requirements.
Mediterranean Salad is quite easy to prepare and it does not involve cooking therefore suitable for times when you are pressed for time. No cooking is involved in this dish, all that is needed is to chop the vegetables, prepare the dressing, and fold everything together. Though this salad can be prepared way ahead and chilled in the refrigerator, it is better to add the dressing just before serving for enhanced taste and texture.
Try More Recipe:- Easy Homemade Ceviche Recipe: Fresh and Flavorful
The Mediterranean Salad is a great dish that is loaded with fresh vegetables, olives, and feta cheese and is topped with a special dressing. Very suitable for lunch or as an appetizer for dinner, this salad belongs to the Mediterranean basin.
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup sliced bell peppers (any color)
- 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers
- 1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
- Prepare the Vegetables:
Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes.
Peel and dice the cucumber.
Peel and thinly slice the red onion.
Slice the Kalamata olives and crumble the feta cheese.
Chop the fresh parsley and basil.
- Make the Dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, and minced garlic.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the Salad Ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, feta cheese, parsley, and basil.
If using any optional ingredients like bell peppers or artichoke hearts, add them to the bowl.
- Add the Dressing:
Pour the prepared dressing over the salad.
Toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly.
- Serve:
Transfer the Mediterranean Salad to a serving dish or individual bowls.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
Servings 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 160kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 12g19%
- Saturated Fat 3g15%
- Cholesterol 12mg4%
- Sodium 170mg8%
- Potassium 470mg14%
- Total Carbohydrate 30g10%
- Dietary Fiber 8g32%
- Sugars 6g
- Protein 10g20%
- Vitamin A 918 IU
- Vitamin C 30 mg
- Calcium 130 mg
- Iron 2 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
- You can adjust the amount of feta cheese according to your taste.
- For added protein, consider adding grilled chicken or chickpeas.
- This salad can be made a few hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator, but add the dressing just before serving to keep the ingredients fresh.