Main Dishes
Mediterranean Salad Recipe
Prep
15 minutes
Yield
6
🥗 This easy Mediterranean salad with millet, chickpeas, and fresh veggies is colorful, healthy, and perfect for summer BBQs! Ready in 15 minutes and meal-prep friendly!
BBQ season has got to be my favorite time of year because nothing says summertime quite like a good old-fashioned barbecue with family and friends. Aside from the main courses like veggie burgers, grilled chicken, or sausages, it’s always wonderful to have some colorful, fresh salads to complement the spread. When produce is at its peak of freshness, it’s the perfect time to showcase vibrant vegetables in healthy, flavorful salads. This easy Mediterranean salad recipe with millet is one of my absolute go-to dishes that I love bringing to barbecues, potlucks, and summer gatherings.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Salad Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Make this easy Mediterranean salad in just 15-25 minutes with simple chopping and mixing.
- Incredibly Healthy: Loaded with fresh vegetables, protein-rich chickpeas, and nutritious ancient grains for a well-balanced meal.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Holds up beautifully in the fridge for 3-4 days, making it ideal for weekly lunch prep.
- Highly Customizable: Easily adapt with different grains, vegetables, proteins, or make it vegan and gluten-free based on your needs.
🍲 Ingredients
Millet – This ancient grain has been cultivated for over 10,000 years and comes in varieties like pearl, foxtail, and proso millet. Proso millet has a mild, slightly nutty flavor that works beautifully in both sweet and savory dishes, making it a versatile alternative to rice or quinoa. Millet contains B-complex vitamins for energy metabolism, several essential amino acids making it a more complete plant protein, magnesium for muscle and nerve function, and it’s naturally gluten-free, making this Mediterranean salad accessible to those with gluten sensitivities.
Chickpeas – These protein-packed legumes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber that support digestion, help regulate blood sugar, and may reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. Chickpeas provide about 15g of protein and 12g of fiber per cup, making them incredibly filling and satisfying. They’re a cornerstone of Mediterranean cuisine and add wonderful texture to this salad while keeping it plant-based and budget-friendly.
👩🍳 How to Make This Mediterranean Salad Recipe
Cook the Grain:
1. Prepare 1 cup of millet (or quinoa, couscous, or farro) according to package instructions. For millet, combine 1 cup dry millet with 2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and grains are tender.
2. Remove from heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Spread on a plate or baking sheet to cool completely to room temperature—warm grains will make the salad soggy and wilt delicate ingredients.
Toast the Nuts:
3. While the millet cools, gently toast the pine nuts in an ungreased pan over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. They burn quickly, so watch them carefully! Transfer to a plate to cool.
Prep the Vegetables:
4. Chop all vegetables into small, uniform “chopped salad” style pieces (about ¼-½ inch dice) for even bites and better fork-ability.
- Cucumbers – slice them in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon to prevent excess water in the salad.
- Tomatoes – seed them by cutting in half and gently squeezing out the seeds and juice.
- Canned chickpeas – Drain and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Jarred olives, artichoke hearts, or sun-dried tomatoes – drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
- Leafy greens like spinach or arugula – wash and spin completely dry in a salad spinner.
Make the Dressing:
5. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or red wine vinegar), 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1-2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously or shake in a sealed jar until emulsified and creamy.
6. Taste and adjust: add more lemon for tartness, more olive oil for richness, or more salt if needed. The dressing should be bright, tangy, and well-balanced.
Red Wine Vinegar Dressing Variation:
For a classic Greek-style dressing, use 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice, ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon Dijon, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the Salad:
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled millet, chickpeas, chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, and any other desired vegetables.
As you add each ingredient, lightly season with a pinch of salt. This layers the flavors and ensures every component is properly seasoned.
8. Add fresh herbs like chopped parsley, dill, or mint, and crumbled feta cheese (or vegan feta).
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly until everything is evenly coated and glistening.
Serve:
9. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the toasted pine nuts just before serving to maintain their crunch.
10. For best flavor, let the salad sit for 15-30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. The millet will absorb the dressing and become incredibly flavorful.
11. Garnish with additional fresh herbs, a sprinkle of sumac for tangy flavor, lemon zest for brightness, and extra crumbled feta if desired.
Serve at room temperature or chilled alongside grilled proteins, as part of a mezze platter, or on its own as a light main course.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Cool Completely: Let cooked grains cool to room temperature before mixing to prevent wilting vegetables and creating a soggy salad.
- Season Layers: Lightly salt each ingredient as you add it to the bowl for better, more evenly distributed flavor.
- Remove Seeds: Seed cucumbers and tomatoes to prevent excess water from making the salad watery and diluted.
- Dry Everything: Pat dry all canned or jarred ingredients (chickpeas, olives, artichokes) to remove excess moisture.
🗒 Variations
- Protein-Packed: Add grilled chicken breast, shrimp, salmon, tofu, or falafel on top for a complete meal.
- Roasted Vegetables: Include roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted eggplant, or zucchini for deeper flavor.
- Herb Mix: Use a combination of fresh parsley, dill, mint, and basil for complex, bright herbal notes.
- Spicy Kick: Add Aleppo pepper, red chili flakes, or diced jalapeños for heat.
- Grain-Free: Skip the grain entirely and make it vegetable-forward with extra cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and greens.
- Topped: Add homemade or store-bought croutons, toasted pita chips, or crispy chickpeas for extra crunch.
🗒 Substitutions
- Grain Swaps: Replace millet with quinoa (15 minutes cook time), Israeli couscous (10 minutes), regular couscous (5 minutes), orzo pasta (8-10 minutes), or farro (25-30 minutes).
- Protein: Swap chickpeas for white beans, lentils, or add grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tofu for extra protein.
- Cheese: Use vegan feta, omit cheese entirely for dairy-free, or try crumbled goat cheese for different tangy flavor.
- Nuts: Replace pine nuts with slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, pistachios, or sunflower seeds for nut-free option.
- Greens: Use baby spinach, arugula, chopped romaine, or mixed greens instead of or in addition to the grain base.
👩🍳 Best served with
- Pan Fried Cod Culet Bowls
- Baked Swai Fish (Greek Style with Rice & Tomatoes)
- Easy Chicken Kofta with Pepperoncini Hummus
- Shrimp, Feta + Spinach Stuffed Salmon
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store Mediterranean salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For best results with meal prep, keep crunchy toppings (nuts, croutons), fresh herbs, and leafy greens separate and add just before serving. If you’ve dressed the entire salad, it will soften over time but still taste delicious—you may want to add a splash of fresh lemon juice or olive oil before serving to brighten it up. The flavors actually improve after a day or two as everything marinates together.
🤔 Common Questions
A classic Mediterranean salad dressing is made with extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. The typical ratio is 3 parts olive oil to 1 part acid (lemon or vinegar), though you can adjust based on preference. Some versions add a touch of honey for sweetness or fresh herbs like parsley or dill.
To prevent a watery salad, seed cucumbers and tomatoes before chopping, thoroughly drain and pat dry all canned ingredients like chickpeas and olives, cool cooked grains completely to room temperature before mixing, spin leafy greens completely dry, and consider dressing the salad in stages—dress lightly initially and add more dressing before serving.
This Mediterranean salad is naturally gluten-free when made with gluten-free grains like millet, quinoa, or rice instead of couscous, orzo, or farro. It’s easily vegan by using vegan feta cheese or omitting cheese entirely—all other ingredients are plant-based. The salad is also naturally dairy-free if you skip the feta.
For this Mediterranean salad recipe, I love dressing it ahead because the millet soaks up all those delicious flavors and becomes incredibly tasty. However, if you’re meal prepping, keep dressing separate and add it fresh. The salad tastes best after sitting 15-30 minutes at room temperature or 1-2 hours refrigerated.
Mediterranean Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Bob’s Red Mill Millet
- 1 400 mL can of chickpeas strained, washed and dried
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup marinated artichokes chopped
- 3 cups chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh dill chopped
- 1/2 cup green olives
- 1/2 cup toast pine nuts
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos finely chopped
- 1/4 cup capers
- 1/4 cup feta crumbled (more if needed)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. oregano spice
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Juice + zest of 1 large lemon
Instructions
- Prepare the Millet as per the package instructions. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
- Gently toast the pinenuts on an ungreased pan until golden. They burn quickly so cook on low and watch them carefully.
- Prep all your other ingredients.
- To a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and mix till everything is coated.
TIP: lightly salt each salad ingredient as you are adding them to the large mixing bowl. This will help distribute the flavor of each ingredient and ensure it’s all well salted.
- Enjoy!
Loved!