Mediterranean Salad Recipes

This juicy melon salad is seasoned with fresh oregano and thyme, sumac spice and toasted sesame seeds for a bright summertime take on the Middle Eastern spice blend za'atar.

Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.

Crushed coriander seeds and lemon zest give this quick salmon recipe praiseworthy flavor that pairs beautifully with a shaved asparagus and poached egg salad. Served with a glass of white wine, this healthy recipe makes the ultimate lunch or light dinner.

The time-honored Italian pairing of canned tuna and cannellini beans makes a super-simple, satisfying lunch. Serve over salad greens, on grilled whole-wheat country bread or tucked in a whole-wheat pita pocket.

This healthy dinner salad recipe gets its staying power from protein-packed shrimp and fiber-rich barley. With a simple red-wine vinaigrette, this quick salad makes just one serving but is easy to double or triple. Look for precooked beets with other prepared vegetables in the produce department.

In California's Ojai Valley, citrus growers have mastered cultivating the tiny Pixie tangerine. Pixies are only available in the spring, but you can make this salad year-round with any variety of tangerine or clementine.

A tomato-rich dressing boosts the flavor and lowers calories and fat in this tortellini salad (the dressing is also great on green salads or grilled fish). Roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes add a good dose of vitamins A, C and fiber.

This Mediterranean quinoa salad is chock-full of fresh veggies that marinate in a bright, fresh dressing. It's an easy vegetarian dinner recipe that can also be made ahead as a healthy lunch option.

Capers, red onion and fresh herbs give canned tuna and beans a light, fresh taste. Here we serve the tuna salad on a bed of greens. It also works well stuffed into a pita for a sandwich. Give it some extra kick with a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne. Serve with olive bread.

Impress your guests with this stunning beet salad that's quick and easy to make. Because the beets are sliced so thinly by the spiralizer, you don't have to worry about cooking or painstakingly chopping veggies. Regular red beets look great, but striped Chioggia beets, golden beets or a mix of any of the three would make the presentation even more gorgeous.

This festive salad features colorful greens, fruit and cheese tossed with a light and zesty dressing.

Save time and spiralize crisp cucumber instead of chopping it for this easy, healthy vegetable side. Want to make it a meal? Just add grilled chicken, shrimp or canned chickpeas.

This streamlined version of a northern Italian idea is perfect for a summer evening: no-fuss, no-cook and big taste. You can even make it ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. If you do, use it as a wrap filling for the next day's lunch.

Enjoy this healthy and simple grilled vegetable salad recipe alongside anything else you feel like throwing on the grill. Or toss it with pasta and plenty of Parmesan and call it dinner.

The secret to this delicious pasta salad is a creamy low-fat dressing made with bottled roasted red peppers. If you have cooked chicken on hand, you can substitute it for the tuna.

Tofu definitely benefits from a marinade, in this case lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. In this vegetarian salad recipe, the tofu is pressed first, which concentrates its subtle soy flavor and improves the texture by removing some of the water. But what really makes this recipe special is the Parmesan cheese crust that transforms the tofu into a soft, cheesy crouton.

Use the hasselback technique to upgrade plain caprese salad with this fun twist! Cutting partially into the whole tomato creates openings to layer in fresh mozzarella cheese, basil and a balsamic drizzle for tons of flavor in this unique vegetable side dish recipe.

Mushrooms, carrots and onions are roasted with garlic and fennel seeds in this roast chicken and quinoa salad. Preparing the quinoa with a little less water than is typical makes it cook more quickly and keeps it fluffier‚ perfect for soaking up the sherry-vinegar dressing in this salad. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.

With tons of fresh herbs, arugula, olives and farro, this healthy chicken salad recipe makes a wonderful potluck platter or healthy dinner. We love the nutty flavor and quick cooking time of farro but other whole grains, such as freekeh, bulgur or couscous, are also good choices.

In this budget-friendly salmon recipe, canned salmon tops lentils, carrots and celery--ingredients you probably have on hand already. Fiber-rich lentils come in a variety of colors and they typically cook faster than dried beans, so they're a great choice for a fast weeknight dinner.

Salmon and lentils are a familiar combo in French bistro cooking; here they combine in a quick and easy salad. For the best presentation, flake the salmon with a fork, then stir gently into the salad to keep it in chunks, not tiny bits.

Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.

Sometimes beets in the market have beautiful, unblemished, tender greens attached. When that happens, blanch the greens and toss with beans and vinaigrette, using some of the beets to garnish the salad, as in this recipe. Use the leftover cooked beets for other dishes. If you buy beet greens on their own, you can make the salad just with them. Either way is delicious.

An easy salad to serve with grilled chicken or steak for supper or on a bed of greens for a satisfying lunch. Substitute white beans or chickpeas for the black-eyed peas if you prefer.