Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing                             (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

Are you tired of salads yet? Please say no. Because I have another one for you and it’s a must make.

I first posted this salad a couple of months ago on social media and I didn’t realize what a stir it would cause. I mean, I knew that I had something special with this salad dressing, but I was not prepared for what ensued.

Within a couple of weeks this Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing had racked up over 5 Million views on Tik Tok and I had thousands of you making this salad and sharing your creations with me on Instagram.

Then the Rachael Ray show called, and selected this recipe to feature on the show this week! Suffice to say, I knew I had to share this recipe on the blog so all of you can reference it anytime you need, or print out to use for a lifetime (which you will, I promise).

How To Make Mediterranean Chopped Salad with

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing:

chopped salad

Step 1. Combine dressing ingredients in a high speed blender.

Step 2. Combine greens in a large serving bowl and mix.

Step 3. Top with the rest of the salad ingredients.

Step 4. Toss the salad with the dressing. Since we have romaine in this salad, it doesn’t keep when dressed for as long as some of the others, so if you’re making ahead of time, store dressing separately and dress before serving.

Step 4. Serve or refrigerate and enjoy all week.

chopped salad

What Else Can I Use?

  • Roasted red peppers are a non-negotiable here. They are the base of this salad dressing, so sadly, I cannot offer a substitution that wouldn’t be an entirely different recipe.
  • Balsamic vinegar can be replaced with apple cider or white wine vinegar in the dressing.
  • If you don’t have honey, maple syrup can be used in the dressing.
  • You can use goat cheese or feta in the salad instead of mozzarella.
  • If you don’t care for green olives, use kalamata olives, hearts of palm, or canned artichokes instead.

This Mediterranean Chopped Salad is Special Because:

It is crunchy, creamy, salty, and sweet. The perfect blend and balance of flavors.

It takes 20 minutes from start to finish.

The DRESSING is what has everyone so excited. It is only 5 ingredients and is so very flavorful. Grab a high quality blender (this is mine and I’ve had it for over 10 years), and watch magic happen.

The dressing will keep for a good week in the fridge, and is as delicious on salad as it is with roast chicken.

chopped salad

If you like this one, check out these other healthy lunch recipes:

“Cheesy” Vegan Kale Salad with Farro

Pesto White Bean Salad with Garlic Croutons

Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Almond Dressing

Revolutionary Broccoli Salad

chopped salad

If you make this Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!

chopped salaed

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

This chopped salad has the most addictive, 5 ingredient dressing, and has gone viral across the internet for a reason!
4.75 from 12 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6 people
Calories 296 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 High speed blender

Ingredients
  

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

  • 2 large hearts of romaine, chopped
  • 2 cups green cabbage, chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1 cup green olives, sliced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, diced
  • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

  • 12 oz. roasted red peppers, drained
  • 2 small cloves garlic, smashed or 1 large
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a high-speed blender, combine all dressing ingredients.
  • Blend for 10 seconds, until smooth and red.
  • In a large serving bowl, combine cabbage and romaine lettuce. This will be the base of your salad.
  • Add onion, tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chickpeas.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.
  • Serve right away. Leftovers will hold up for 2-3 days dressed. For longer storage, store the dressing and salad separately.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 9gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 1395mgPotassium: 403mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5046IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 915mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken salad, chopped salad, gluten free, Hungry Lady Salads, lunch salads, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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31 thoughts on “Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)”

  • 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!! I subbed sweet cherry peppers instead of olives because I have picky kids, and everyone LOVED IT!!!!

  • I absolutely love your salads! Can you tell me about how big a serving size would be?

    • Savannah, I figure about two cups per serving.
      So happy you’re enjoying being here!
      Kat

  • 2 stars
    Could not get a smooth consistency with the dressing and I have all the kitchen gadgets to make it happen. The dressing was very chunky and not tasteful at all. Tried adding small amounts of olive oil to improve consistency, but that didn’t work. Threw it away.

    • Jenna,
      I’m sorry to hear this. The dressing should blend easily in a blender to a very smooth consistency. You used jarred roasted red peppers?
      Kat

  • 5 stars
    I have made this salad twice now and love it! I have even shared the recipe and the salad, because I believe you don’t keep a good thing to yourself. Please keep the salads coming.

  • 5 stars
    Amaze. Did you say you were going to post salad ingredient staples or did i imagine that? Also, what honey do you recommend? I notice your honey is much thicker than mine. Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try a second recipe!

    • Hi Carrie,
      You should have received a PDF upon subscribing to my site with the staple ingredients.
      I use raw honey in this video, but I switch it up. I’m happy you love the recipe!
      Kat

  • 5 stars
    i have made my way through most of your hungry lady salads and each one replaces the last as my favorite. this one is to die for delicious. i swapped black olives for the green ones (mostly because my green olives are for martini time 😉 ) but the sweet and salty balance seemed unaffected. this is without a doubt my new favorite…until the next one…

  • 5 stars
    My family loved this! To make it a heartier meal i added grilled chicken, and served with naan. I personally don’t like chickpeas raw, so I roasted them for extra crunch!

    • Dana,
      I often roast chickpeas as well, and chicken is a great addition. I’m so happy you and your family love it!
      Kat

  • 5 stars
    This is BY FAR my all-time favorite salad. So much flavor, all the salad goods (cheese, olives, chickpeas, tomatoes), and the dressing is packed with flavor.

  • 5 stars
    The salad tastes so so good! Served with some grilled chicken on top and it was pretty filling. Can’t wait to try all the salads on the website!

  • 5 stars
    Love this salad!! I used light agave since I ran out of honey and the dressing is still delicious! Can’t wait to make it again!

  • 5 stars
    Loved this salad for meal prep this week! Drizzled the freaking AMAZING extra dressing over blackened salmon that we made last night. Absolutely delicious!

    • Tandi,
      I’ve never paired it with salmon, but I will now!
      I’m happy you love it too.
      Kat

  • 5 stars
    We LOVE this salad. I love a salad that can serve as a main corse. I make a huge bowl and it will last us almost a week. I will sometimes add chopped broccoli to it as well. We include 3 oz of chicken or salmon to make it dinner.

    • I added chicken to this salad two nights ago for dinner, I will never tire of it!
      Kat

  • Hi about to try the lentil salad with honey walnut dressing for the first time after watching your TikTok demo of the recipe; really excited ! Any substitution ideas for the cheese and olives in this Meditteranean chopped salad/? Trying to cut down on sodium

    • Hi!
      You can leave them both out, though the fresh mozzarella doesn’t have much sodium.
      It’s very versatile, and really about the dressing after all : )
      Kat

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