Mediterranean Salad

Why wait to go out to dinner to eat a fantastic salad? With just a few extra ingredients, you can transform a regular house salad into a great one to serve at home or take to the next backyard barbecue.

A great accompaniment to any main dish, this crispy salad can stand alone for lunch or dinner as well. Tossing in the very Mediterranean legume chickpeas provides extra fiber and protein along with many health benefits.

Some debate whether the salad should be called Mediterranean or Greek. Regardless, feel free to dress it up any way you like. Switch out black olives for green ones, or eliminate completely to cut down on salt; add fresh yellow peppers, red roasted peppers, sliced dried tomatoes, or fresh herbs you have on hand.

In the end, it’s all good and healthy.

Preparation time: 30 to 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed and sliced (about 6 cups)
• 1 cup cucumber diced
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half
• ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
• ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 artichoke hearts, quartered
• ¼ cup Greek olives, sliced, optional

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (or combination of basil, oregano and thyme)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix all salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and toss into salad. Serve.

Makes 4 servings. Note: Increase the amount of ingredients for more servings.

Nutritional Information
Per 2 cup serving: 231 calories; 13.4g total fat (2.1g saturated, 1.4g polyunsaturated, 5.2g monounsaturated); 377.7mg sodium; 5.0mg cholesterol; 22.9g carbohydrate; 5.8g fiber; 2.2g sugars; 6.4g protein; 245.5mg potassium.