The Best Mediterranean Salad Recipe
Apr 18, 2026
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This easy Mediterranean salad combines crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny kalamata olives, and tangy marinated artichokes, all tossed in a bright lemon-sumac dressing. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free – the perfect fresh side dish for grilled meats, rice dishes, or mezze platters.
What I love the most about Mediterranean recipes is that they always call for fresh ingredients. Simple recipes like green bean salad, fattoush, Greek pasta salad, Turkish tomato salad, crunchy cabbage salad, and tabbouleh are some of the best Mediterranean side dishes that compliment almost every dish out there. Today I’m going to show you how to make another show stopper: Mediterranean salad with just a few ingredients.
Table of Contents
What is Mediterranean Salad?
A Mediterranean salad is a fresh, vegetable-forward salad inspired by the cuisines of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea — including Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, and Italy. Unlike American-style salads that rely on heavy dressings, Mediterranean salads incorporate the natural flavors of fresh produce with simple olive oil and lemon-based dressings. This recipe is enhanced by sumac, a tangy, citrusy Middle Eastern spice that adds incredible depth without extra acidity.
The Best Mediterranean Style Salad
Mediterranean food is made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. Vegetables such as olive oil, tomatoes and onion have a bold role in almost all the Mediterranean recipes such as briam or ratatouille which makes them healthy and great for families.
Like our Mediterranean three bean salad, this salad is packed with so much flavor and fresh vegetables. It makes a great side dish for many dishes and is so simple to make. You can even pair it with grilled corn on the cob for a bright and summery spread. A great option for your parties and gatherings, this is a wonderful alternative to your usual salads.
Ingredients To Make Mediterranean Salad
- Cucumber: When it comes to making salads, I love using mini or Persian cucumbers because they are crisper and their seeds are smaller therefore there is no need to scoop them out.
- Tomatoes: Any kind of tomato would work for this easy everyday Mediterranean salad, I usually use roma tomatoes because they are firm and easy to slice.
- Red onion: I love adding red onion to salads, it adds flavor and a nice kick to the salad.
- Kalamata olives: Chopped olives are so good in salads. Make sure the olives are pitted. You can slice them or add them whole.
- Artichokes: To make a salad with artichokes, it’s best to use marinated artichokes because they add so much flavor to the salad and you can even add some of the marinade to the dressing for more flavor.
- Herbs: I love using parsley but you can also use cilantro, mint or green onions.
To make the best Mediterranean salad dressing you need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil works best for this recipe.
- Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds so much brightness to the dish.
- Garlic: It’s best to mince your own garlic for this recipe and avoid packaged minced garlic.
- Sumac: If you’ve never tried sumac, now is the time. It’s tangy and so delicious. The flavors of sumac and garlic are among the major differences between this Mediterranean salad recipe and Arabic salad.
How To Make Mediterranean Salad
- Wash all the vegetables (except artichoke and olives) and let them dry.
- Once they are completely dry, chop them (make sure not to chop them too small) and place them in a large bowl.
- Using two large spoons, mix them all together. Make sure not to over mix the vegetables.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar or a bowl and pour it over the salad.
- Give it a final stir and serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Like our favorite Persian salad, Mediterranean cucumber salad is a great side for rice dishes such as mujaddara or tomato rice. If you’d like to make it into a full vegetarian meal, take a look at my recipe for Greek saganaki, a hearty fried cheese. You can also serve this easy salad with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean main dishes such as Shish tawook, Mediterranenan chicken or Beef shish kabob.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mediterranean salad is best served right away but it can also be made some hours ahead and serve the same day. In this case, add the dressing to the salad right before serving.
My Personal favorite is kalamata olives but you can also use jarred green olives as long as they’re pitted.
Sumac has a unique tangy flavor and bright color that cannot be substituted with any other spice. However, if you don’t have it on hand, add some more lemon juice so the dressing is tangy enough for you.
The recipe calls for parsley but you can use mint, cilantro, green onions, basil or a combination of a few herbs.
Greek salad is a specific traditional recipe from Greece, featuring chunked tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, green bell pepper, kalamata olives, and a block of feta, dressed with olive oil and oregano. It never includes lettuce. Mediterranean salad is a broader category that can include ingredients from any Mediterranean country. This particular recipe has a bit of a Lebanese influence with its tangy sumac dressing and marinated artichokes — ingredients you won’t find in a classic Greek salad.
More Salad Recipes
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The Best Mediterranean Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1 cup artichoke hearts, halved
- 1 cup parsley , chopped
Mediterranean Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 1 tsp sumac
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, artichoke hearts and parsley.
- Using two spoons, lightly mix the vegetables and put the bowl in the refrigerator.
- Make the Mediterranean salad dressing by mixing olive oil, lemon, sumac, garlic, salt and pepper in a mason jar or a small bowl.
- Pour the dressing over salad and mix well.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Marinated artichokes would work very well for this recipe and add a lot of flavor.
- It’s best to use pitted kalamata olives for this recipe but you can also use pitted or stuffed jarred green olives.
- Serve this salad with rice dishes such as mujaddara or tomato rice. You can also serve this easy salad with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean main dishes such as Shish tawook, Mediterranean chicken or Beef shish kabob.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The flavors here are total perfection!
Yum! This has all of the best ingredients in it. I will definitely make it again.