The Ultimate Mediterranean Salad

For a scrumptious side salad or vegetarian lunch, prepare this ultimate Mediterranean salad. With quinoa, perfectly cooked eggs, sliced olives, Marcona almonds, and juicy tomatoes, this salad will keep you satisfied!

Jump to:

• Watch how to make this
• What makes this dish special
• Ingredients
• Substitutions and variations
• Step-by-step instructions
• Make-ahead and storage
• Frequently asked questions
• More vegetarian salad recipes
• Recipe

Watch how to make this

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Ingredients

• Vinegars: Red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar add acidity and tanginess to the dressing. Red wine vinegar adds sharpness while balsamic adds sweetness and depth.
• Dijon mustard: Acts as an emulsifier, helping to bind the vinaigrette ingredients.
• Quinoa: Adds protein and fiber, making the salad more filling.
• Salad greens: Form the base of the salad, providing volume and freshness. You can use any salad greens such as baby kale, spinach, or mesclun greens.
• Peppadew peppers: The sweet peppers add a sweet and tangy flavor with a slight heat.
• Marcona almonds: The rich buttery nuts add a crunchy texture and make the salad more satisfying.
• Olives: Bring a salty, briny flavor to the salad. You can use kalamata olives or green olives.
• Feta: Adds a creamy, tangy, and salty element to the salad.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: You can add grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak for extra protein. For a vegetarian option, you could also add some marinated tofu or roasted chickpeas.
• Grains: You can substitute quinoa with other grains like couscous, bulgur wheat, or farro.
• Toppings: You can easily adapt this salad and add additional toppings such as roasted peppers, roasted asparagus, blanched green beans, or chopped cucumbers.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make salad dressing

This ultimate Mediterranean salad is not only delicious because of the toppings but also because of the salad dressing. The vinaigrette is different from the standard Greek dressing because it uses two different vinegars. By including balsamic vinegar, you add a touch of sweetness that balances the red wine vinegar beautifully.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients in a medium bowl and slowly add the olive oil while constantly whisking.

You can also make the dressing in a blender, following the same steps. While the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil until fully combined. Feel free to make the vinaigrette up to 3 days in advance.

Step 2: Cook quinoa

Now that the dressing is done, it's time to prepare the cooked ingredients, the quinoa. Believe it or not, people ask me all the time how to make the perfect quinoa. You want to cook the quinoa with double the amount of water so if you're cooking 1 cup quinoa, add 2 cups water.

Let it come to a boil, then add the lid and reduce the heat to a low simmer. When the quinoa is done, turn off the heat but keep the lid on for at least 5 minutes. The steam will help release any quinoa that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Step 3: Prepare toppings

While the quinoa is cooking, boil the eggs. I prefer the perfect 8-minute egg but hard-boiled or 6 or 7-minute eggs also work! You can also skip the eggs if you want to keep the salad vegan-friendly.

Now it's just a matter of assembling all of the ingredients. I recently have been on a peppadew binge because my local markets started carrying them. These African piquant peppers are sweet and slightly pickled, making them the perfect vessel for creamy cheeses.

Toss everything together with the Mediterranean vinaigrette and there you have the ultimate Mediterranean salad. Every time I make this salad, my husband always comments on how delicious it is. I thoroughly enjoy this meal every single time and I hope you do too!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can cook the quinoa and boil the eggs the day before. All other toppings including tomatoes, peppadew peppers, olives, feta, and almonds can be prepped the day before. You can also make the dressing up to 3 days in advance.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the salad dressing in a separate container.

Frequently asked questions

More vegetarian salad recipes

Looking for more vegetarian salad ideas? Try these:

Recipe