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!
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Watch how to make this
What makes this dish special
Happy New Year friends! It's taken me a full week to get back to blogging but I'm very excited to be back. Since it's the new year and I know a lot of you are trying to get back on the healthy track after the holidays, I've decided to start 2020 with a salad post. Okay, so it doesn't sound exciting but trust me, this Mediterranean salad is so good. It's so delicious that I had to name it "The Ultimate Mediterranean Salad." Tossed with crunchy almonds, soft-boiled eggs, sweet peppers, and juicy tomatoes, you really can't go wrong. And if you want another fantastic vegetarian salad recipe, check out my Cuban salad with mango.
You might be looking over the recipe for this Mediterranean salad and thinking, "Wait, but do you need a recipe for this salad?" It's true, the only thing you have to cook is the quinoa and the boiled egg but the secret is behind the ingredients. It may seem like a lot of ingredients but everything works so well together.
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
Peppadew peppers are sweet piquanté peppers. They're often found in the deli or olive bar section of grocery stores. If you can't find them, you can substitute them with roasted red peppers.
You can substitute red wine vinegar with sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.
More vegetarian salad recipes
Looking for more vegetarian salad ideas? Try these:
Recipe
The Ultimate Mediterranean Salad
Ingredients
Mediterranean Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Mediterranean Salad
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- 4 cups salad greens
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup sliced peppadew peppers sliced
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup sliced olives
- ¼ cup chopped toasted Marcona almonds
- 2 large boiled eggs halved
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
Instructions
- Make vinaigrette. Whisk together red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil, whisking constantly until well combined. Set aside.
- Rinse dry quinoa and combine with 1 cup cold water in a medium saucepot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is evaporated and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let cool.
- Assemble the salads. Plate 2 cups salad greens per plate and top with cooked quinoa, boiled egg, peppadew peppers, cherry tomatoes, olives, feta, Marcona almonds, fresh dill, and the Mediterranean vinaigrette. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve.
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