Mediterranean Chopped Salad {Paleo, Vegan}

This mediterranean chopped salad has loads of veggies, a flavor packed vinaigrette and vegan feta cheese. It’s perfect to serve to guests, for BBQs, picnics or a light lunch. Make it a full meal by topping with chopped chicken or other protein. Paleo and vegan.

Sometimes the simplest salads wind up being the most addicting.  This one seriously is!

I love a good chopped salad from a restaurant and wanted to create something mediterranean inspired but paleo friendly.

What I came up with is today’s chopped salad!  A mix of all the usuals you’d find in a Mediterranean salad but without the chickpeas.

Instead, I subbed in avocado (always a hit for me!) and traded regular feta cheese for a dairy free vegan version.

The dressing is vibrant and not short on flavor!  It definitely beats out any store bought vinaigrettes.

Plus, if you have a mason jar you can easily mix up the dressing just by shaking!  My “secret” to easy dressings is always a mason jar 🙂

What You Need to Make this Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Dressing:

• olive oil
• lemon juice
• red wine vinegar
• dijon mustard
• pure maple syrup, optional (omit for Whole30)
• garlic
• dried oregano
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

• greens of your choice (romaine, mixed greens, etc)
• English cucumber
• red onion
• grape or cherry tomatoes
• avocado
• pitted Kalamata olives
• dairy free feta cheese (such as Violife)
• chopped fresh parsley

How to Make this Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Make the dressing first.  In a mixing bowl or mason jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. 

If using a lidded mason jar, you can close tightly and shake together the ingredients.

Assemble the salad in a large bowl by placing the chopped lettuce or greens first, then arranging lines of the remaining ingredients on top of the chopped lettuce. 

To serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad and garnish with parsley. 

Ingredient Substitutes for this Chopped Salad

You can easily make this salad Whole30 friendly (or not!) by subbing in or out different ingredients.

Since even “cheese” is out for Whole30, you’ll want to omit the vegan feta.  Also omit the maple syrup from the dressing for Whole30.

You can add in red bell pepper or more avocado to make up for the lack of feta, plus salting the salad itself can add flavor so you’re not missing the sharp feta.

If you include dairy in your diet, use regular feta cheese (of course!)

Also, feel free to add in chickpeas if you include legumes in your diet.  They make a great addition to the salad!

Additionally, if you want to make this into a filling meal, simply add in chopped cooked chicken or another protein you like!

I hope you’re ready for a fresh, delicious and easy chopped salad that you’ll want on repeat!

Grab your ingredients, a mason jar and a big bowl because it’s time to eat – let’s go!

Mediterranean Chopped Salad {Paleo, Vegan}

Mediterranean Chopped Salad {Paleo, Vegan}

This mediterranean chopped salad has loads of veggies, a flavor packed vinaigrette and vegan feta cheese. It’s perfect to serve to guests, for BBQs, picnics or a light lunch. Make it a full meal by topping with chopped chicken or other protein. Paleo and vegan.

Author: Michele

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Course: Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: chopped salad, greek salad, paleo, vegan

Servings: 6 servings

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4.86 from 14 votes

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup optional (omit for Whole30)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Salad:

• 8 oz greens of your choice chopped (romaine, mixed greens, etc)
• 1 English cucumber halved lengthwise and diced*
• 1/2 large red onion diced
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes halved
• 1 large avocado peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives sliced
• 4 ounces crumbled dairy free feta cheese such as Violife**
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Make the dressing first. In a mixing bowl or mason jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. If using a lidded mason jar, you can close tightly and shake together the ingredients.
2. Assemble the salad in a large bowl by placing the chopped lettuce or greens first, then arranging lines of the remaining ingredients on top of the chopped lettuce. To serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*English cucumber has thin skin and is seedless, if using a regular cucumber, make sure to remove the seeds and peel.
**If you include dairy in your diet, use regular feta cheese.
***Feel free to add in chickpeas if you include legumes in your diet

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal

Carbohydrates: 8g

Protein: 2g

Fat: 25g

Saturated Fat: 3g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g

Monounsaturated Fat: 18g

Sodium: 203mg

Potassium: 317mg

Fiber: 4g

Sugar: 3g

Vitamin A: 320IU

Vitamin C: 8mg

Calcium: 31mg

Iron: 1mg

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