High Protein Mediterranean Salad

Usually, we don't put high protein next to the word salad, seems a bit of a contradiction. But sometimes, even though we need a good amount of protein, all we want is a full meal made with fresh veggies and that's it. That's why I came up with this Mediterranean salad to have all your needs and wants fully covered. 

As we know, Mediterranean cuisine is popular for having a bunch of fresh ingredients in every meal and a whole lot of flavour. For this reason, I decided to create a salad inspired in this cuisine to help us reach our protein quota without much effort. All this while having a healthy and delicious meal.

This is not your typical salad. We have a few different elements that make this Mediterranean salad pretty unique. First of all, we are mixing fresh lettuce with pan roasted veggies. This will not only bring out some beautiful aromas, but it will also make it more of a full meal than just a plain salad. 

Aside from that, we are using one of the Mediterranean cuisine's main ingredients, chickpeas. To make it interesting and get the most out of this creamy legume, we are adding whole chickpeas and hummus. This is what will bump up the amount of protein in this salad. 

But protein is not all we are getting from chickpeas. They contain an incredible amount of nutrients we can benefit from. Chickpeas are loaded with iron, magnesium, folate, Vitamin C, A, K and complex B vitamins, to name a few. They're also are a great source of carbs, fibre, antioxidants and Omega-6.

All that packed in such a small bean!

There are a few components in this Mediterranean salad. We have lettuce, chickpeas in different forms, pan-fried onions with zucchini, black olives, cherry tomatoes and red onion. To top it off and really give it that Mediterranean taste to it we are adding some other things. We'll throw in there balsamic vinegar, cashew nuts, fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes. 

As you can see, this salad has everything you need to keep you full and satiated for a good while after you eat. It is not just a pile of veggies. It is a fresh, nutritious, crunchy, soft, delicious, fun pile of veggies. With the very best of the Mediterranean flavours.

If you are into Mediterranean cuisine as much as I am, you should also try this pasta version of our Mediterranean salad. They are both similar when it comes to flavour but different enough to keep things interesting. I love finding a particular flavour I like and being able to enjoy it in different dishes. This is a good way to be practical and avoid getting bored.

This Mediterranean salad is perfect to eat after a good midday workout session, it will keep you nourished and full of energy. And now that the festivities are around the corner, this salad recipe comes in handy after a full day of joyfully binging on holiday food.