Mediterranean Salads: 5 Recipes Beyond the Greek Salad

The Greek salad - tomatoes, cucumber, feta, olives, oregano and olive oil - is excellent and deservedly famous. It is also not the whole story. Mediterranean salads range from the bread-and-tomato panzanella of Tuscany to the herb-heavy tabbouleh of Lebanon to the anchovy-and-egg Nicoise of Provence. Five of the best, each with a full recipe.

1. Fattoush (Lebanese Bread Salad)

Fattoush is the Lebanese equivalent of panzanella - a salad built around stale or toasted bread, here made with fried or baked flatbread (khubz) rather than sourdough. The sumac dressing is the defining element: sharp, lemony, distinctly Middle Eastern.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 large flatbreads or pitta breads, torn into rough pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil (for the bread)
• 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 cucumber, cut into chunks
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• Large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Large handful of fresh mint leaves
• 1 little gem lettuce, roughly torn

For the dressing:

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp sumac
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Toss the flatbread pieces in 3 tbsp olive oil and spread on a baking tray. Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Alternatively, fry in a dry pan.
2. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
3. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, spring onions, parsley, mint and lettuce in a large bowl. Season and toss with the dressing.
4. Add the toasted bread pieces and toss once more. Serve immediately - fattoush does not keep once assembled, as the bread softens quickly.

Nutrition per serving: ~320 kcal | 8g protein | 18g fat | 34g carbs

2. Salade Nicoise (Provencal Tuna and Vegetable Salad)

The classic Nicoise is a composed salad, not a tossed one - each element arranged separately on the plate rather than mixed together. The traditional version uses tinned tuna and raw vegetables; the grander version uses seared fresh tuna. Both are excellent.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 200g good-quality tinned tuna in olive oil, drained
• 200g fine green beans, blanched for 3 minutes and refreshed
• 4 eggs, soft-boiled (7 minutes), peeled and halved
• 300g small new potatoes, boiled and halved
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 8 anchovy fillets
• 80g black olives (Nicoise olives if available)
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

For the dressing:

• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients.
2. Dress the warm potatoes first and leave to absorb the dressing while you prepare everything else.
3. Arrange all the elements on a large platter or in individual shallow bowls - there is no prescribed order, but keep each element in its own section rather than mixing.
4. Drizzle more dressing over the assembled salad and serve.

Nutrition per serving: ~420 kcal | 28g protein | 24g fat | 22g carbs

3. Panzanella (Tuscan Bread and Tomato Salad)

Panzanella is summer food: made at the height of tomato season with the ripest tomatoes available, it is one of the best things you can eat. The bread soaks up the tomato juices and dressing and becomes something entirely different from its dry original state.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 300g stale sourdough or ciabatta, torn into chunks
• 800g very ripe mixed tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
• Large handful of fresh basil leaves
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Place the sliced red onion in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to take the edge off its sharpness. Drain and pat dry.
2. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber and onion in a large bowl. Season generously, add 4 tbsp of the olive oil and 2 tbsp of the vinegar, and toss. Leave for 15 minutes - the tomatoes will release their juices, which is the dressing.
3. Add the bread and toss so it begins absorbing the juices. Leave for another 15 minutes until the bread has softened but still has some texture.
4. Add the remaining oil and vinegar, taste and adjust seasoning. Tear over the basil, toss once more and serve.

Nutrition per serving: ~350 kcal | 9g protein | 18g fat | 40g carbs

4. Tabbouleh (Lebanese Herb and Bulgur Salad)

Western versions of tabbouleh are mostly bulgur wheat with some parsley. Real tabbouleh is mostly parsley with a small amount of bulgur wheat. The herb is the salad; the grain is a textural element. Once you eat it properly proportioned, the diluted version makes no sense.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 50g fine bulgur wheat
• 3 large bunches of flat-leaf parsley (about 200g leaves), very finely chopped
• 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, very finely chopped
• 4 ripe tomatoes, very finely diced
• 4 spring onions, very finely sliced
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Pour boiling water over the bulgur wheat just to cover it. Leave for 15 minutes, then drain through a fine sieve and squeeze out excess moisture with your hands. Spread on a plate to cool completely.
2. Combine the chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes and spring onions in a large bowl. Add the cooled bulgur wheat.
3. Dress with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and taste - it should be bright, herbaceous and assertively lemony.
4. Leave for 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to settle. Serve with flatbread or lettuce leaves for scooping.

Nutrition per serving: ~230 kcal | 5g protein | 16g fat | 18g carbs

5. White Bean and Tuna Salad with Lemon and Capers

The simplest and most practical salad on this list - pantry-based, ready in five minutes, and satisfying enough to be a complete lunch.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 x 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 160g good-quality tinned tuna in olive oil, drained
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 1 small red onion, very finely sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the beans, tuna (broken into flakes), capers and red onion in a bowl.
2. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil. Season generously.
3. Scatter over the parsley and toss gently - you want the tuna in large flakes, not shredded. Taste and adjust lemon and seasoning.
4. Serve with crusty bread or on a bed of rocket.

Nutrition per serving: ~440 kcal | 32g protein | 22g fat | 28g carbs

For a full week of Mediterranean meals built around salads like these and dishes across the day, see the 7-day Mediterranean meal plan. For the broader context of how salads fit into Mediterranean eating, see the Mediterranean diet beginner's guide.