Mediterranean Salad with Hummus (Printable)

Fresh Mediterranean salad with diced vegetables, olives, feta, creamy hummus, and warm pita bread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 large cucumber, diced
02 - 2 large tomatoes, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - ½ red onion, thinly sliced
05 - ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
06 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
07 - ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

→ Dressing

08 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Hummus & Pita

12 - 1½ cups hummus, store-bought or homemade
13 - 4 whole wheat pita breads

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, gently toss together the cucumber, tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, and parsley until evenly mixed.
02 - Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top if desired.
04 - Heat pita breads in a dry skillet or toaster for 1 to 2 minutes until soft and pliable, then cut into wedges.
05 - Serve the salad evenly on plates or a large platter. Add a generous scoop of hummus to each serving.
06 - Arrange the warm pita wedges around the salad and hummus. Serve immediately to retain freshness.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes, which means you can have something vibrant and satisfying on the table before you've even thought about dinner.
  • The hummus and warm pita turn a simple salad into something substantial enough to feel like a real meal, not an afterthought.
  • Everything tastes better the next day, so you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your day instead of cooking.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad too far ahead unless you want a watery bowl by dinnertime; if you need to make it early, keep the dressing separate and toss everything together just before serving.
  • The quality of your olive oil and lemon juice matters more here than in any other recipe because there's nowhere to hide—these two ingredients are the whole dressing, so choose ones you'd actually want to taste on their own.
03 -
  • If your tomatoes aren't ripe enough, don't use them—a not-quite-there tomato will drag the whole salad down, so wait a day or swap in sun-dried tomatoes for the moment.
  • Keep the hummus at room temperature so it's creamy and inviting when you serve it; cold hummus from the fridge tastes stiff and bland by comparison.

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