Loaded with fresh veggies, olives & feta cheese then tossed in a creamy tzatziki dressing! This Mediterranean chopped salad is so tasty and perfect for lunch or dinner! It’s full of all your favorite Greek flavors & best served with pita chips!
We’ve been on a huge Greek and Mediterranean food kick lately and I’ve been loving it! Gyros, tzatziki, hummus, all the olives and feta cheese…ohhhh I want it all! So it just made sense to create this yummy Mediterranean chopped salad! It’s jam packed with bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and (of course) lots of kalamata olives and feta cheese. Plus the tzatziki dressing is insanely good! You’ll definitely want to make a big batch of it because you’ll be putting it that dressing on everything!
Ingredients For Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Lettuce: Use crunchy sturdy greens for the best results. (Romaine lettuce is our favorite.) You need a good base to hold up to the rest of your ingredients and dressing.
- Tomatoes: I love usually cherry tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine! (Their flavor is unmatched when it comes to salads!)
- Bell pepper: Orange, yellow or red peppers tend to work the best for this recipe. They’re not as bitter as green peppers and give your salad a more flavorful bite. (Plus they’re so pretty too!)
- Cucumber: I highly reccomend using English or Persian cucumbers. They don’t have a waxy skin like regular cucumbers and there’s not as many seeds too!
- Olives: Always use kalamata olives! (These instantly give your salad that Mediterranean flare.😉)
- Feta cheese: Use block feta cheese and crumble it yourself for maximum flavor!
- Plain greek yogurt: The base of your tzatziki dressing.
- Red wine vinegar: Adds some zing to your dressing!
- Olive oil: Balances out your flavors. (You’ll only need 1 tablespoon for this recipe.)
- Lemons: You’ll be using the juice and zest from 1 lemon in your tzatziki dressing. (If you prefer your dressing a little more “lemony”, you can always add a dash more of lemon juice until you reach your desired flavor.)
- Garlic: A nessecity for every recipe!
- Spices: Dried dill, salt and ground black pepper are all you need for your dressing!
How To Make A Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Make your dressing. Place your greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice & zest, garlic, dried dill, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth. Then keep your dressing stored in the fridge while you prepare the rest of your salad.
- Prepare your ingredients. Chop your lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, onion and olives and crumble your feta cheese.
- Mix. Add your salad ingredients to a large bowl and pour your desired amount of dressing over the top. Toss the salad until it’s completely coated.
- Serve! Serve immediately with your favorite pita chips (if desired).
Add some protein!
We love turning this chopped Mediterranean salad into a main dish by throwing some added protein on top! Diced cooked chicken, shrimp and salmon are a few of our favorites. Or if you’re looking for a vegetarian option, chickpeas would be amazing with it too! (Try toasting your chickpeas in the oven for a few minutes to get them crispy on the outside. Soooo good!😉)
FAQ’s
- Can I prep any ingredients beforehand? Absolutely! Your tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, onion and olives can all be cut beforehand and stored in separate conatiners in the fridge. (I would suggest waiting to cut your lettuce until right before serving to keep it fresh.) Your dressing can also be made at least 1 week in advance.)
- How do I save my leftover Mediterranean salad? This salad is best eaten the day it’s made. But if you do choose to save it, we’ll usually pick out the lettuce pieces and store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat it again, you can spoon it over some fresh greens and add little more dressing on top.
- How long does Mediterranean salad last in the fridge? Your salad should stay good for 2-3 days if stored properly.
Why you’ll love this chopped greek salad recipe
- Full of veggies! Crisp greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers & onion – This chopped salad is full of fresh seasonal produce!
- The perfect bite! Because all your ingredients are relatively the same size you’ll get a little bit of everything in every bite!
- Serve it as a side dish or entree! Refreshing enough for a side dish yet hearty enough for the main course! Just add your favorite protein and you’ve got a well balanced healthy meal in no time!
Need it gluten free? Great news, it already is!
More salad recipes you might like:
- Mexican Chopped Salad with Creamy Taco Dressing
- Avocado & Feta Greek Salad
- Spinach Salad with Bacon & Hardboiled Egg
- Avocado, Tomato & Mozzarella Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments. I love seeing what you create!]
Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Tzatziki Dressing
Loaded with fresh veggies, olives & feta cheese then tossed in a creamy tzatziki dressing! This Mediterranean chopped salad is so tasty and perfect for lunch or dinner! It's full of all your favorite Greek flavors & best served with pita chips!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the tzatziki dressing:
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the chopped salad:
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup English cucumber, diced
- ½ cup bell pepper, diced (red, orange or yellow)
- ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted & quartered
- ¼ of a red onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Pita chips, for serving (optional)
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- Place all your dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Then keep your dressing in the fridge while you prepare the rest of your salad.
To make the salad:
- Add your lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, olives, onion and feta cheese to a large bowl and pour your desired amount of dressing over the top.
- Toss your salad until it's fully coated and serve immediately with pita chips on the side.
