This Mediterranean salad with Honey Dijon Balsamic Mediterranean Dressing is a healthy take on a traditional Greek salad.
It’s January, which means it’s time to clean up my diet to make up for all of the Fall and Winter baking that went on in my house.
I typically stay away from structured diets that have a lot of rules. I instead focus on light, healthy, and fresh ingredients that I will feel good about putting into my body.
For this reason, I am somewhat drawn to the Mediterranean diet as it’s focus is on fresh ingredients native to the regions around Greece and Southern Italy.
I’m kind of obsessed with this flavor profile.
Healthy Mediterranean Diet Choices
There is an expansive list of food in the Mediterranean Diet, but these are just a few of my favorites:
Healthy fats: avocados, olives, avocado oil, and extra virgin olive oil
Fruits: figs, dates, pears, strawberries, and citrus fruits like lemon, orange, and grapefruit.
Nuts and seed: almonds, walnuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Whole grains: whole oats, brown rice, barley, whole grain pasta and breads
Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, tuna, and shrimp
Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper
Dairy: cheese (especially goat cheese) and Greek yogurt
Poultry: chicken, duck, and turkey
Eggs: chicken, quail, and duck
Tubers: sweet potatoes and potatoes
Vegetables: artichokes, tomatoes, kale, spinach, cucumbers, onions, and cauliflower
Legumes: chickpeas, bean, and peanuts
How could anything be less than exceptional with these ingredients???
Mediterranean dressing
Begin by making the Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette for your Mediterranean salad:
Simply add all ingredient to a mason jar, close the lid tightly, and give it a good shake.
Assemble the Mediterranean salad:
For this salad, I made an individual serving, so I purchased everything directly from the olive bar at a local grocery store. Olive bars are very popular right now and feature Mediterranean flavors so it’s the perfect choice at a low cost. I was able to purchase all of the ingredients for a single serving salad, including the olive tapenade, for around $2.50 on sale. My favorite are the peppedew peppers. These can be difficult to find at times but can sometimes be found on the olive bar as well.
Layer desired amount of salad greens on a plate. Sprinkle with olive tapenade (a little goes a long way), and then top with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, and peppadew peppers. Lightly drizzle with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette and give a light toss.
Enjoy!
Mediterranean Salad with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch of cayenne pepper
Mediterranean Salad: (amounts vary based on the size of salad desired. Adjust to your own preference)
- mixed salad greens
- olive tapenade (store bought, look on the olive bar at your grocers)
- marinaded artichoke hearts
- feta cheese
- peppadew peppers
- Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette
Instructions
Make the Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid. Close the lid tightly and shake well. Store in the refrigerator. Shake well each time before using.
Assemble the salad:
- Layer desired amount of salad greens on a plate.
- Sprinkle with olive tapenade (a little goes a long way), and then top with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, and peppadew peppers.
- Lightly drizzle with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette and give a light toss.
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