Its warming up nicely here in my neck of the woods. Hi friends! I’m back with another Mediterranean inspired salad. My other popular Mediterranean salad was a huge hit on Instagram and Facebook, it was reposted, shared several hundred times. It makes me so happy to see people made the salad and enjoyed. Thank you for sharing all your pictures. I have feeling you’ll love this too. If you haven’t tried it, here is the recipe..….
It is nice to see more n more people choosing wholesome fresh ingredients and talking control of their wellbeing.
I get asked do I live only on veggies and salads? the answer is yes and no. Like a lot of people I went through all the pseudo diets to stay healthy. But as expected none lasted long because they were not satisfying and left me craving for more.
YES I do eat a lot infact, a major portion of my plate is veggies. Ive stopped counting calories, I just make sure my plate has lots of colors and real ingredients. No processed fake foods. I balance it with good healthy fats, some protein and wholegrain. Gone are the days I would run a mile from fats or grains. I just choose better quality ingredients and eat everything in small moderate quantities.
NO I don’t just eat veggies I eat small-moderate amounts of sweets, cheese, grains, fish and meats on occasions. I don’t believe in cheat days, just treat myself when I feel like in small portions. My mother tells me food will be there tomorrow and the day after, you don’t have to eat it all now and today. That stuck with me and I remind myself every time I want to go for seconds.
Enough of that. Lets talk about this salad. This salad has all the delicious ingredients of the Mediterranean region with quinoa in the mix, making it a wholesome hearty midweek dinner and lunch the next day. You can serve this as is or add grilled chicken or fish to make it a more substantial meal.
Mediterranean Confetti Salad
Serves: 2-4 servings as a main meal or side
INGREDIENTS
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ medium red yellow pepper chopped
- ½ medium red bell pepper chopped
- 3 Persian cucumbers about 2 cups
- 1 small watermelon radish or 2-3 regular radishes sliced
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup mixed herbs, use the same combination as in the vinaigrette
- 2-3 cups baby spinach/ kale or arugula, add ons
- ⅔ cup dry quinoa should yield about 2 cups
Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup mixed herbs; used a combination of dill parsley and mint (minced) or use ½ teaspoon each of dried herbs
- kosher salt to taste (I used about ¼ teaspoon)
- ground black pepper to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon)
Instructions
Make Quinoa
- In a small to medium saucepan, add 1⅓ cups water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes then fluff with fork. Set aside to cool.
Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl whisk all ingredients until well combined.
Assemble
- In a large bowl add cooked quinoa, all ingredients except and ½ the dressing. Toss to combine. Add more dressing as desired.
- Toss in arugula when ready to serve.
- Serve room temperature. Stores well in the refrigerator for several days in a sealed container (don’t add the salad greens and dressing until ready to eat).
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