Looking for a nutritious yet simple recipe to meal prep for lunch or dinner? This Greek Chopped Salad is ideal as it makes several servings and it's super healthy. It's brimming with colorful veggies like cucumber, tomato, and red onion. Plus, you get to choose any base and protein of your choice to add to it!
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Table of Contents
Why you'll love it
This salad screams summer to me. It offers a refreshing combination of crisp vegetables and creamy feta cheese, all tied together by a zesty vinaigrette. It's a nutritious choice that's customizable, making it suitable for pretty much any dietary preference. It's quick and nutritious-need I say more? 🙂
Is it healthy?
This salad is not only low in calories but also high in dietary fiber and vitamins from its variety of vegetables. We recommend including the protein to make it a balanced meal that can support muscle repair and energy levels throughout the day.
Ingredients you'll need
Here's what you'll need to make this vibrant salad:
- Bell pepper: Choose any color to add crunch and sweetness.
- English cucumber: Its mild flavor complements the stronger tastes in the salad.
- Heirloom tomato: Adds a burst of juiciness.
- Red onion: Brings a slight zip that contrasts nicely with the other ingredients.
- Feta cheese: We sure to grab pre-crumbled feta or you can crumble up a feta block yourself.
- Base options: Leafy greens, pasta, or quinoa to bulk up the salad.
- Protein options: Chicken, chickpeas, salmon, or pistachios for extra protein and nutrition.
How to make it
Follow these steps to assemble your Greek chopped salad.
Prepare the vegetables
Start by dicing the bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, and red onion into uniform ¼-inch pieces. This ensures that each bite has a balanced flavor and texture, which is essential for a chopped salad. I often like to use my veggie chopper to get the job done in no time!
Combine in a bowl
Transfer the chopped vegetables to a large salad bowl. Add the feta cheese, along with your choice of base and protein. Toss everything together thoroughly to ensure that the flavors are well-distributed throughout the salad.
Make the vinaigrette
In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together all dressing ingredients. To save time, feel free to grab a Greek vinaigrette from the store. We often enjoy using Primal Kitchen's Greek Vinaigrette.
Dress the salad
Pour about half of the vinaigrette over the salad-roughly ¼ cup-and toss to coat evenly. You can always add more if you like a dressing-heavy salad.
Chill and serve
For the best flavor, let the salad chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. If you're in a hurry, you can serve it immediately-either way, it'll be delicious!
Recipe tips and tricks
- Serving suggestions: This salad really stands on its own but if you're craving more, feel free to pair it with crusty bread or hummus and pita chips on the side.
- Troubleshooting: If the salad seems dry, add a bit more vinaigrette just before serving.
- Scaling: This recipe is easily halved for smaller meals or can be doubled for gatherings.
Customize it your way
Like all of my other recipes, this Greek chopped salad is completely customizable. You get to choose which proteins and base ingredients you want to use. Here are some options:
- Base choices: Mixed greens or romaine for a lighter option, pasta for a heartier dish, or quinoa for a gluten-free alternative.
- Protein variations: Grilled chicken for a classic touch, chickpeas for a vegan source, or flaked cooked salmon for extra omega-3s.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Absolutely! As a dietitian, this chopped Greek salad is one I recommend as a meal prep option to my clients all the time. Assemble the salad as the directions call for and then store in a large container or split up into individual meal prep containers. Feel free to add extra vinaigrette just before serving. You can always add the dressing into separate small condiment containers too.
How do I store leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors will continue to enhance, making it even more delicious the next day.
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Greek Chopped Salad
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Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 large bell pepper of your choice, diced into ¼-inch pieces (makes about 1 heaping cup) - yellow, red, orange, or green bell pepper
- ½ large English cucumber, diced into ¼-inch pieces (makes about 1 heaping cup)
- 1 medium heirloom tomato, diced into ¼-inch pieces (makes about 1 cup)
- ¼ small red onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces (makes about ¼ cup)
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 cups base of your choice (Choose either cooked pasta, cooked quinoa, or chopped leafy greens such as romaine lettuce - optional but recommended)
- Protein of your choice (Choose either 1 cup cooked and chopped chicken breast, 1 cup drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, ½ cup cooked and flaked salmon or smoked salmon, 5 ounce can tuna, or ½ cup shelled pistachios - optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Using a knife or a veggie chopper tool, dice the bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, and red onion into uniform ¼-inch pieces.
- Add veggies to a large salad bowl then toss with feta cheese. Add base of your choice and protein of your choice and toss to combine.
- In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients.
- If enjoying the salad right away: Pour half the vinaigrette (¼ cup) over the salad and toss to evenly coat. Set aside the remaining vinaigrette to serve with the salad.If enjoying the salad later on: Portion vinaigrette into 4 small containers to serve with the salad.
- Feel free to enjoy immediately, or portion the salad into 4 meal prep containers along with the mini dressing containers.
- Store leftovers or prepped salads for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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Elizabeth says
A friend of great recipe credibility shared this one with me, so I used quality EVOO and doubled the dressing recipe (without ever trying it). The dressing is delicious and flavorful; Sandy wouldn't steer me wrong. I eat vegan and my husband (who loves flavorful food) doesn't. I like quinoa, he doesn't but this recipe is a gift to us because I can serve it to him with rice or pasta, plus chicken for him and maybe chick peas for me. Thank you for this great recipe!
Mackenzie Burgess, RDN says
Hi Elizabeth! I absolutely love hearing this — thank you for sharing! It means a lot that it came recommended by a friend you trust, and I’m so glad the dressing lived up to the hype. Love how you made it work for both you and your husband with your own customizations... that’s exactly what I hope for with my recipes. Grateful you took the time to share this! 🙂 ~Mackenzie