This green summer chopped salad is packed with seasonal produce and flavour!
Inspired by my seasonal vegetable garden, this is one of my favourite summer salad recipes.
It’s a fresh and delicious salad that comes together in under 10 minutes; it’s one of the best salad recipes you’ll make!
I love a summer salad like simple green salad and this recipe. There’s something about fresh summer produce in a salad that just hits all the right notes.
Fresh, crisp summer vegetables paired with salty feta cheese and crispy pita chips are a true winner. This is one of those easy salad recipes I think you’ll come back to again and again. And, the homemade dressing is something you could use on repeat if you love it as much as I do!
Veggie salads like this one are really a great way to enjoy the freshest produce during the summer season.
Why you’ll love this chopped salad recipe
Make this green summer chopped salad for dinner as a main dish for 2 or serve as a perfect side salad for 4.
It’s easy to swap out ingredients where needed for your favourite vegetables or cheese.
It’s a great salad to take on summer picnics too!
Meal prep this refreshing salad and pack it for a light lunch – the opportunities are endless!
All of the fresh ingredients should be easy to find at local farmers’ markets and grocery stores.
Ingredients Needed
Romaine lettuce: You’ll need one head of crisp lettuce, about 4-5 cups chopped romaine.
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): Make sure to rinse and drain the chickpeas before using.
Cucumber: Crisp english cucumbers chopped up work best but you could also use persian cucumbers if desired.
Fresh herbs: A mix of fresh basil, dill and mint brings bright flavours to this salad.
Radishes: Colourful radishes bring a pop of colour and crunch to this chopped salad
Feta cheese: Crumbled feta cheese goes beautifully with all of the other
Pita chips: to add some crunch, crush some pita chips for a topping or use croutons if desired.
Dressing: Extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt and black pepper make up the dressing recipe.
Step by step process to make this green summer salad
Step 1: Shake or whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.
Step 2: Prep all of the fresh salad ingredients and then add all salad ingredients to a large bowl or plate. Drizzle with the dressing, toss and serve.
Step 3: Top meal prep tips: in meal prep containers layer the cucumber, radishes, chickpeas, feta and dressing at the bottom. Then top with the feta then lettuce and herbs and store in the fridge until ready to enjoy. Keep the pita chips or croutons on the side and add just before tossing it all together. (You can also pack the dressing separately too).
Expert tips for making this green summer chopped salad recipe
My favourite way to meal prep this salad is to layer the cucumber, radishes, garbanzo bean/chickpeas and dressing at the bottom of an airtight meal prep container or mason jar. Top with the feta and then chopped lettuce and fresh herbs and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Shake / stir all of the ingredients together when ready to enjoy and top with the pita chips. Make sure to keep the pita chips stored in a container on the counter or in the cupboard as if stored in the fridge too, they tend to loose their crispness.
Another way to meal prep this salad is to keep all ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge and then, when you’re ready to enjoy simple assemble the ingredients as you see fit, drizzle with dressing and enjoy!
If chickpeas aren’t your favourite protein, substitute with 2 cups of another protein of choice.
Other great additions to this salad would be bell peppers, red onion or cherry tomatoes. If adding in more vegetables, aim to add in 1 cup total.
FAQ
What if I don’t like feta cheese?
Creamy goat cheese is a lovely substitute for feta cheese. Alternatively an old white cheddar cut into cubes or crumbled would be wonderful too!
How can I make this salad gluten-free?
Use gluten-free pita chips or croutons as the crunch needed for this salad. Alternatively, you could use a gluten-free cracker broken into pieces or even make your own pita chips with gluten-free pitas. Simply tear up a gluten-free pita and toss with a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and cook / toast in the pan until golden.
What if I don’t want to use pita chips?
Pita chips bring a nice crunch to this salad so opt for something else that can bring crunch like chopped almonds or walnuts or even sunflower seeds. If using nuts or seeds in place of pita chips, opt to use about 1/2-3/4 cup.
How to store this summer chopped salad
You can meal prep this salad, keeping the dressing and pita chips in seperate containers and then store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
114/15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or sub with 2 cups your choice of protein)
1cup chopped cucumber
1/3cupchopped fresh herbs (mix of dill, mint and/or basil)
1cupchopped radishes
1cupcrumbled feta cheese
1 1/2cupscrushed pita chips or croutons
For the dressing
5tbspolive oil
2tbspred wine vinegar
1tbsplemon juice
3/4tspdried oregano
1/2tspsalt
1/4tsppepper
Instructions
Shake or whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.
Prep all of the salad ingredients and then add all salad ingredients to a large bowl or plate. Drizzle with the dressing, toss and serve.
See notes below for meal prep tips!
Notes
Meal prep tips:
In meal prep containers layer the cucumber, radishes, chickpeas and dressing at the bottom. Then top with the feta cheese, lettuce and herbs and store in the fridge until ready to enjoy. Keep the pita chips or croutons on the side and add just before tossing it all together. (You can also pack the dressing separately too).
Another way to meal prep this salad is to keep all ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge. Then, when you're ready to enjoy simple assemble the ingredients as you see fit, drizzle with dressing and enjoy!
If chickpeas aren't your favourite protein, substitute with 2 cups of another protein of choice.
Other great additions to this salad would be bell peppers, red onion or cherry tomatoes. If adding in more vegetables, aim to add in 1 cup total.
