Made up of a variety of fresh healthy foods, Mediterranean Diet salad recipes taste delicious and are good for you. For lunch add a portion of nutritious, warm whole grain bread for tasty and satisfying meal.
Garbanzo Beans and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15-16 ounce can garbanzo beans, also called chickpeas
- 1 large or 2 medium plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium size onion, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, remove seeds and dice
- ½ yellow bell pepper, remove seeds and dice
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced or minced
- 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- The juice of one lemon
Directions
- Drain the liquid from the garbanzo beans and rinse them well.
- Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Toss them gently.
- Cover and refrigerate to chill the salad.
- Serve cold.
Grilled Vegetable and Feta Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 medium yellow squash
- 1 medium zucchini
- 25 - 30 green string beans
- 1 ½ cup mixed greens
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
- 1 cup crumpled feta cheese
- 1 large yellow or red onion
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Cut the eggplant, squash and zucchini into slices approximately ½ inch thick.
- Peel the onion and cut it into slices approximately ½ inch thick.
- Brush the vegetables with olive oil.
- Season the vegetables with salt and pepper if desired.
- Set the vegetables aside.
- Gently steam the string beans, drain and set aside.
- Place the vegetables (not the string beans) on the grill and cook until they are tender, approximately 6-7 minutes.
- Place the cooked vegetables on a plate.
- Once the vegetables are cool, cut them into pieces approximately ½ inch in size.
- Cut the sting beans into ½ inch pieces.
- Place all the vegetables (including the greens and parsley) into a large bowl.
- Add the olives, feta cheese, lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil.
- Add salt and pepper if desired.
- Toss all the ingredients together.
Grilled Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, deveined
- 2 to 3 zucchini
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 2 pounds of salad mixture containing endive, radicchio and butter lettuce
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Directions
- Combine the last five ingredients and marinate the shrimp in one half of the vinaigrette for ½ hour.
- Place the shrimp on skewers.
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise.
- Chop the woody ends off of the asparagus.
- Place the shrimp, zucchini and asparagus on the grill, and cook until done.
- Chop zucchini into bite-sized pieces.
- Put the greens in a bowl.
- Dice the avocado and add it to the greens.
- Add the shrimp and vegetables from the grill.
- Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
Hearty Healthy Salads
Mediterranean Diet salad recipes are very easy to adapt. Leave out a vegetable you don't particularly like or substitute one you do enjoy eating. If you prefer tuna instead of shrimp, go right ahead and modify a recipe to please your palette. Whether you follow the Mediterranean Diet plan to lose weight or maintain your current weight, according to the American Heart Association, eating a healthy diet reduces your risks of having a stroke or heart attack. Remember to check with your doctor before beginning any type of diet to make sure it is safe for you.
