Mediterranean Bean Salad packs chickpeas, white beans, your favorite Mediterranean vegetables and feta cheese into one healthy salad and is topped with a light lemony dressing. This works perfectly as a side dish to a meal or even as lunch with pita bread and hummus. 

MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD

Did you guys hear that U.S. News & World Report did a review of over forty different diets and put the Mediterranean Diet as tied for first place with the DASH Diet?

It mentioned that the Mediterranean Diet is the easiest to follow, and I completely agree.

It has been shown to have great healthy benefits for those that follow it too.

Today we are going to celebrate with this Mediterranean Bean Salad.

This beauty is loaded with all my favorite Mediterranean ingredients. 

In my house I make salads on rotation every week. I like to start my meals with a salad and for lunch I will often eat salads. 

I also love easy recipes and this is an easy bean salad recipe. It works great for meal-prep or a summer cookout. It really is the perfect summer side dish.

I absolutely loved reading that the Mediterranean Diet is being recommended as one of the top ways of eating for health and hearing that people are embracing.

Mediterranean food has been a part of my life since I was a baby.

The variety of ingredients, flavors and spices will leave you satisfied and feeling good.

I know you have heard me talk time and time again about my Lebanese roots, but here we are again.

There is something about those flavors!

I have always felt that the way of eating that people do in the Mediterranean region is not only healthy, but an easy way for the average person to eat and it is not restrictive.

Keep in mind that the Mediterranean region includes many countries and foods, which means you aren’t going to get bored eating your way through the Mediterranean.

Here is the Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid to help guide you:

 

I do not restrict myself from things I love.

I just make sure to follow a 80-20 rule, making sure that 80 percent of my diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, seafood, olive oil and grains with occasional meat mixed in.

Most importantly incorporating fresh, wholesome ingredients into your diet is what your body needs to fuel it on a daily basis and helps you lead a healthy life.

I also make sure to get physical activity each week, drink lots of water and take some time for relaxation or yoga.

These are all things that are built into the Mediterranean way of living.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS BEAN SALAD

CHICKPEAS

CANNELLINI BEANS 

KALAMATA OLIVES

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

RED ONION

CHERRY TOMATOES

GREEN PEPPERS

ENGLISH CUCUMBER

FETA CHEESE

FRESH HERBS: MINT AND PARSLEY

GREEN ONIONS

MODIFICATIONS AND COOKING TIPS:

• Add additional fresh veggies to this salad like artichokes, zucchini, fire roasted tomatoes, fresh green beans, carrots, celery and radish.
• This salad also works great on a bed of greens or with greens mixed in.
• Get creative with your dressing by mixing in your favorite spice. I love sumac or za’atar in my dressing but many people don’t have those spices. You can use other spices like oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, paprika or an Italian seasoning bend. 
• Get creative with your beans. I like to open up my pantry and use whatever I have. Some great options are garbanzo beans, red kidney beans, wax beans, pinto beans and black beans in it, other day it will have white beans and kidney beans. You pick!
• Fresh herbs are your friend. I always add mint, parsley and green onion to my salads. I think its my love for tabbouleh that creates that habit. Any fresh herbs you have will work great in this salad. 
• I love the homemade dressing but feel free to toss the salad in whatever dressing you like. For my dressing you can sub in balsamic vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar. You also can use lemon juice or lime juice for a tangy dressing. If you have a store-bought favorite that will work fine.