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    Home » Soups & Salads

    Published: May 8, 2025 · by Angela · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Mediterranean Chopped Salad

    Jump to Recipe

    This delicious Mediterranean Chopped Salad has it all for anyone who loves hearty & healthy fresh vegetables. In just 10 minutes this is ready for lunch, dinner, or as a side dish.

    Chopped Italian salad in a serving bowl and on a plate.

    A bunch of fresh vegetables and flavorful jarred produce makes this chopped salad great for when you have company over. It is bright, colorful, and perfect all summer long.

    Mediterranean Chopped Salad plated with olives, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, romaine, and artichoke hearts.

    This recipe is great for all your parties, cookouts, and gatherings since it is perfect for almost every special diet (vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, & meatless). And like my Italian Marinated Tomatoes it is a wonderful first course to when fresh produce is at their peak.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for Mediterranean Chopped Salad
    • How to Make a Chopped Salad
    • Storing & Meal Planning
    • Variations
    • Mediterranean Chopped Salad
    • Other Mediterranean Recipes

    Ingredients for Mediterranean Chopped Salad

    This chopped salad has a base of romaine lettuce. All the ingredients here are common in the Mediterranean diet which makes this heart healthy yet still delicious.

    You will recognize much of the simple vegetables as popular Greek & Italian-inspired ingredients. It has a variety of colors, textures, & flavors that is second to none. YUM!

    Overhead view of the salad bowl with each ingredients in a wedged section
    • Romaine lettuce - the hearty leafy green holds up well to all the toppings.
    • Garbanzo beans - classic legume for protein.
    • Cherry or Roma Tomatoes - a must for any Italian or Greek salad.
    • Marinated artichoke hearts - the tender centers to artichokes put this recipe at gourmet levels.
    • Cucumber - adds crunch.
    • Black )lives - sliced from the can or fancy pitted kalamatas all are great options.
    • Pepperoncini - for a spicy kick.
    • Onion - red or white works, whichever you prefer.
    • Dressing - easy homemade Italian dressing recipe included or use your favorite bottled.

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make a Chopped Salad

    Since this is a chopped salad, the only prep for this recipe is to chop most of the ingredients up. It is a quick and easy 10 minute recipe.

    Try and cut everything up so it is uniform in shape. You want each piece to be smaller than bite-sized so each forkful grabs onto several items at once. See my helpful photos below how best to cut everything so it is easy to eat.

    This salad is a great complete meal in one. But you can add more to it to make it even heartier.

    1 - Chop the Romaine into Small Pieces

    You can begin by slicing the wash romaine lettuce leaves into long strips. Then chop those strips into small pieces. Place the chopped romaine into a medium-sized salad bowl or platter. If you have extras, use these tips to keep chopped or shredded lettuce fresh for days.

    Cutting board with romaine leaves sliced into strips ready to chop

    2 - Prep the Remaining Ingredients

    Once all the romaine is chopped, begin cutting the other ingredients. Here is how to cut/chop each:

    • Small dice - tomatoes, cucumbers, & artichoke hearts.
    • Thin slices - pepperoncini, olives, & onions.

    Last but not least, the garbanzo beans are left whole - no chopping is needed. Store any leftover beans in an air-tight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Here is how it should look ---

    Cutting board with diced cucumbers and tomatoes plus a container of garbanzo beans and big salad bowl with ingredients.

    3 - Toss with Dressing

    Top the romaine with all the chopped vegetables. The Italian chopped salad is now ready. You can store this for enjoying later or add dressing and enjoy immediately.

    You can use a store-bought Italian, Greek, or Vinaigrette. I recommend my Homemade Italian Dressing - it's easy to make, no preservatives, & also vegan-friendly.

    Hand pouring vegan italian dressing from a jar onto the bowl of Mediterranean chopped salad.

    Storing & Meal Planning

    Once everything is chopped up it stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep salad and dressing separate.

    LOVE this for school or work lunches, picnics, or busy weeknight dinners. The make ahead salad recipe is a life saver & helps you eat your veggies.

    Overhead view of salad with all the ingredients in sections plus plates, forks, and dressing.

    Variations

    This is a great base but you can personalize it and make it your own. I love to add some crunch with homemade air fryer croutons - they are also vegan. Try some of these additions or substitutions:

    • Greens - try other lettuces including arugula, spinach, or butter.
    • Olives - add any tasty Greek olive variety.
    • Cheese - add shredded, grated, or crumbled cheeses such as Parmesan, Feta, Gorgonzola, or Mizithra.
    Two photos of Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Greek and Italian vegetables, olives, & oil vinegar dressing.

    This filling salad makes a great light dinner or lunch divided between two large plates served with slices of fresh baked Dutch Oven No Knead Bread.

    It is also great as a first course or side salad for 4 people. Serve paired with Grilled Italian Chicken Drumsticks or Pasta alla Pizzaiola.

    Big bowl with serving utensils with salad tossed with dressing
    Overhead image of plated salad ready to eat with fork.

    Mediterranean Chopped Salad

    Angela
    The best Mediterranean chopped salad is packed with garbanzo beans for protein and a bunch of fresh vegetables. Loaded with Greek & Italian produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, artichokes, & olives plus a homemade Italian vinaigrette dressing recipe. Great for lunch, dinner, side, or appetizer. It is gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, healthy, & tasty for everyone to enjoy.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share on Facebook
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 4
    Calories 105 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups romaine lettuce chopped
    • 1 cup canned garbanzo beans drained
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
    • ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts chopped
    • ½ cup cucumber chopped
    • ½ cup black olives pitted & sliced
    • 2 tablespoons pepperoncini peppers stems removed & sliced
    • 2 tablespoons onion, red or white diced
    • VEGAN ITALIAN DRESSING see recipe link above
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    Instructions
     

    • Gather and wash all ingredients as needed. Also, grab a medium-sized salad bowl or platter.
    • Slice romaine leaves lengthwise in 3-4 strips. Then chop those into small bite-sized pieces. Once you have 3 cups of chopped romaine, add it to the bowl.
    • Next, begin prepping the chopped vegetables. The tomatoes, cucumber, and marinated artichoke hearts need a rough chop.  Add to the romaine.
    • The pepperoncini should be sliced if your jar is whole peppers, not already sliced. Slice the olives into 2-3 slices each. Chop the onion into the smallest pieces, about half the size you do the cucumbers.
      Add both to the other ingredients.
    • Last but not least, the garbanzo beans are left whole - no chopping is needed. Just make sure they are drained. Add to the salad.
    • Top with my Vegan Italian Salad Dressing or your favorite dressing. Toss to coat and enjoy.
      Optional - top with additional nutritional yeast.

    Notes

    This is for 4 servings - enjoyed as a light lunch, salad course, or side dish.   It does NOT include dressing - just the salad as listed above.  
    For a full meal, this can be enjoyed as 2 servings - just note it will be twice the calories, etc.
    DRESSING RECIPE

    Nutrition

    Calories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 480mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3612IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword dinner, healthy, Italian, lunch, salad, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Other Mediterranean Recipes

    Here are some similar salads that also showcase yummy Mediterranean ingredients:

    • MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD
    • ANTIPASTO RICE SALAD
    • SUMMER PESTO PASTA SALAD
    « Deep-Fried Oreos
    Keto Chicken Nuggets (Gluten-Free & Low-Carb) »

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    Hi, I'm Angela I’m Angela, a petite mom that loves to cook, eat, drink, & explore all things food. As a former personal chef & caterer, I specialize in family recipes that taste great & are easy to make. I rely on my trusty stool every day to create & test recipes I know you will love.

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