Mediterranean Vegetable Salad
Last updated: Mar 24, 2015
By Lynn Grieger, RD, CDE, CPT for Summit Medical Group
Reviewed by Susan C. Canonico, RD

Enjoy this healthy salad with healthy Mediterranean elements, including olives and omega-3 fatty acids.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 small zucchinis, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into halves
- 1 red onion cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 cup of canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup of canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
- 3 cups of fresh, tender baby spinach leaves
- 10 kalamata olives, chopped
- 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
Directions
- Mix lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, oregano, pepper, and garlic together.
- Place rinsed, drained cannellini beans and chickpeas in a large bowl.
- Pour lemon juice, olive oil mixture over the beans to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Grill the zucchini, red peppers, and onion slices, basting them in balsamic vinegar.
- Place grilled vegetables on a tray over the grill for 5 to 10 minutes, turning twice, not allowing the vegetables to blacken.
- Cool vegetables and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix grilled vegetables, beans, olives, fresh spinach, and feta cheese in a large bowl.
- Serve the dish at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Serving Size 2 cups | |
Amount Per Serving | |
Calories 380 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 21g | |
Saturated Fat 5g | 25% |
Trans Fat 0g | |
Cholesterol 15g | 5% |
Sodium 500g | 21% |
Total Carbohydrate 37g | 12% |
Dietary Fiber 9g | 36% |
Sugars 12g | |
Protein 12g | |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. |
Notes
To help reduce the sodium in this recipe, you can replace the feta cheese and olives with low-sodium feta cheese and low-sodium olives. Rinsing the beans is important for keeping sodium at a minimum in the recipe.
This salad also is delicious topped with grilled chicken, salmon, or tuna and served with a slice of crusty, whole-grain bread.