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This Mediterranean Salad Recipe comes together quickly, is full of amazing flavors and textures and is pretty too! The za’atar spiced walnuts add extra crunch and flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This Mediterranean salad is the perfect summer salad or side dish for your next BBQ or potluck. Combined with fresh veggies such as cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and chickpeas it is delicious and healthy!
Za’atar combines perfectly with the lemon, honey and olive oil and gives the dressing a nice subtle flavor, it’s not overpowering at all.
Ingredients Needed
- Minced onion
- Lemons
- Salt
- Za’atar
- Honey
- Olive oil
- Spring greens
- Cucumber
- Garbanzo beans, canned or use white beans
- Red pepper or use yellow or orange bell peppers
- Feta cheese or goat cheese or blue cheese
- Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- Walnuts
- Egg
- Granulated Sugar
What is Za’atar?
Za’atar is a Mediterranean spice that includes a mixture of dried herbs such as oregano and marjoram as well as sesame seeds and sumac.
Other Ways to Use Za’atar
- Add it to some olive oil and dip your bread into it.
- I use it in this delicious chicken dish – Za’atar Chicken.
- Sprinkle it on salads, vegetables or any meat you are grilling or roasting.
How to Make Mediterranean Salad
Spiced Walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat egg white until foamy.
- Combine salt, za’atar, sugar and egg whites.
- Add in walnuts and coat well.
- Spread nut mixture evenly on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and stir, toss and separate nuts.
- Reduce heat to 250 degrees F and cook for another 10 minutes or until medium brown.
- Remove from oven and toss and stir again.
- Allow to cool (they will crisp up as they cool)Sprinkle on top of salad.
Lemon Vinaigrette
- Mix together minced onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, za’atar, salt and olive oil in a bowl.
- Allow to sit for a while for flavors to combine.
Salad
- Put lettuce in a large bowl and add all vegetables, beans and cheese on top.
- Dress Mediterranean salad by drizzling with vinaigrette and then mix to combine.
Additional Add Ins for Mediterranean Salad:
- Red onions, sliced or shallots
- Kalamata Olives, pitted
- Fresh herbs, thyme or oregano or fresh mint
- Grilled chicken, beef or salmon for a main dish salad.
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Artichoke hearts
Frequently Asked Questions
Ground thyme
Oregano
Marjoram
Cumin
Coriander
Use a mix of all of the above spices with sumac and toasted sesame seeds for best results
Za’atar has a strong, robust, unique flavor. It has a combination of both earthy and lemony flavors with a hint of nuttiness.
If you prefer, you can use pecans or almonds.
If you loved this Mediterranean salad try some of my other favorite great summer salads:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Mediterranean Salad with Spiced Walnuts
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1 Tbsp minced onion
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 lemons
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp za’atar
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Salad
- 1 pkg spring greens
- 1 cup cucumber sliced
- 1 cup garbanzo beans drained
- 1 cup red pepper diced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup spiced walnuts
Spiced Walnuts
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp za’atar
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup walnuts
Instructions
Vinaigrette
- Mix together minced onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, za’atar, salt and olive oil. Allow to sit for a while for flavors to combine.
Salad
- Put lettuce in bowl and add all ingredients on top. Drizzle with vinaigrette and then mix to combine.
Spiced Walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Beat egg white until foamy.Combine all other ingredients except walnuts and mix into egg whites.Stir in walnuts and coat well.Spread mixture evenly on an ungreased baking sheet.Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and stir, toss and seperate nuts.Reduce heat to 250 degrees F and cook for another 10 minutes or until medium brown.Remove from oven and toss and stir again. Allow to cool (they will crisp up as they cool)Sprinkle on top of salad.
Tips & Notes:
- Red onions, sliced or shallots
- Kalamata Olives, pitted
- Fresh herbs, thyme or oregano or fresh mint
- Grilled chicken, beef or salmon for a main dish salad.
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Artichoke hearts
Nutrition Facts:
Originally published July 17, 2017 for the Walnut Commission
Suzanne Croft says
The recipe for the spiced Walnuts doesn’t include Walnuts. Are we to infer that the spices are enough for one cup of Walnuts?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Sorry about that – I updated the recipe.
Jill Fisher says
Some many colors and flavors vying for your attention! The salad looks delectable and your pictures have me dreaming of food at work. This would a great one bowl meal with some cooked farro or quinoa, or even plain steamed rice. Your recipe is perfect, although I’d skip the eggs (allergic to it) and sprinkle some chopped and spiced walnuts instead. Zaatar does add a fresh taste and punch to dishes. Though, quality of zaatar mixes vary a lot. Most of the mixes in the market sadly contain fillings like wheat, too much salt, and even citric acid in place of sumac. They have very little of the real zaatar herb (grown in the middle east), That’s why I trust this online shop for my sumac and zaatar. If allowed in the comment, I’d suggest this site –https://www.eatzaatar.com.
Leigh Anne says
Thanks for the info Jill.
Leta says
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Didn’t see the amount of walnuts used?
Leigh Anne says
Leta, You can really use as many as you like but I have added in 1 cup into the ingredient list for the salad Enjoy!