Super-Satisfying Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Serves 2 • Time 10 mins
This salad is kinda like your favorite sub or pita sandwich, but in salad form. Stuffed full of salty and briny accoutrements like olives, pepperoncinis, cheese, and pepperoni, it’s the perfect salad for those who love deeply savory and pucker-y foods. In fact, this salad is so good I can honestly say I could pack it for a lunch every day of the week, and never grow tired of it. In fact, I often do just that!
This salad is flexible, as most salads are. Feel free to swap in different kinds of cheeses or pickled peppers. If you don’t want meat, you could add a couple scoops of chickpeas for protein and heartiness. During non-summer months, I forgo the tomatoes all together. (I just can’t bear to spend my hard earned shekles on tasteless tomatoes!) And I always add in fresh basil if I happen to have it on hand. This salad is truly satisfying, filling, and quick meal. It might even convert those of you who have salad haters in the house. ;)
Ingredients
20 pieces or ~1.5 oz pepperoni, cut into strips
16-20 or ~2 oz kalamata olives
~1.5 oz red onion (about 1/4 of a small red onion), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons or ~1 oz drained pepperoncini peppers, slices
2/3 cups or ~2.5 oz high-quality feta or fresh mozzarella
3-4 Persian cucumbers, cut into half-moon chunks
~4 oz or 2/3 or a large bell pepper, cut into large bite-sized pieces
2/3 cups or ~3 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
two large handfuls of Romain lettuce, washed and cut
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper
Notes, tips, & tricks
I really like the combination of vinegars in the dressing here, the sweetness of the balsamic balances out the stark acidity of the red wine vinegar really nicely— but you could use just one or the other in a pinch.
When packing this for the next day, layer your salty/strong ingredients (olives, cheese, pepperoni, pepperoncinis, onions) at the bottom, followed by hearty veggies (peppers and cucumbers) and put delicate veggies (lettuce and tomatoes) on top. Pack the dressing on the side to avoid sogginess.
Let’s Do It
Step 1
Place chopped ingredients in a large bowl. Salt veggies with a good pinch or two of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle dried oregano and garlic powder evenly over the top. Then, dress salad directly with olive oil, balsamic, and red wine vinegars. Toss salad to combine. Serve immediately!